Egregious Exile
by alesi257
Summary: Sonic's quest for an ancient relic is Amy's chance to finally win his heart after her long and painful exile. However, a vengeful mercenary ominously lurks in the shadows, waiting to strike. Adventure, drama, mystery, etc. Slightly longer summary inside.
1. Egregious Exile

Warning: Unfortunately, someone left a HUGE spoiler in the review page for chapter 16. In case you're planning to read this story, you might want to avoid reading the reviews first, or maybe just look at the first ones before carefully treading up to those for chapter 13 or 14, in order to avoid the spoiler.

Summary: The ineptly named Ambrosian Files, a supposed relic containing ancient valuable scrolls with the answer to the riddles of the universe, is coveted by, on the one hand, Sonic the Hedgehog and his sidekick Tails, and on the other Knuckles the Echidna on behalf of the Floating Island. Sent to Ambrosia way up in the northern hemisphere to retrieve this treasure, Sonic is hindered in his quest by the previously exiled Amy Rose, who hasn't forgotten Sonic and still hopes to make him her boyfriend. Meanwhile, our heroes will have to deal with a double threat: the remaining denizens of Ambrosia under the leadership of the swift creature known as El (pronounce "Elle"), and the infamous mercenary sent by the Floating Island: Slug the Machine.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, Tails, Dr. Eggman, Knuckles, the Chaotix... they are the property of Sega. I do own Slug and Anya, the Alpha Unit, and the Ambrosians (El, Joey, etc.), these characters are my creation.

About this fanfic: it's basically an alternate near future, meaning the characters are a bit older, but have not necessarily experienced the events of Sonic adventure. All the same, it is a Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic, so it attempts to display some of the classic traits of the characters, i.e. Amy's obsession with Sonic and her occasional lack of scruples that result from it; Tails' admiration of Sonic as an older friend; Sonic's heroism; Sonic and Knuckles' friendly (ahem) rivalry; Knuckles' collaboration with the Chaotix; et cetera, taking into account what the characters experienced in the years prior to the story (especially for Amy and the way she has to deal with her exile). As far as the continuity that's used... well, it's the mainstream Sonic canon. The only notable departure from it is that the Floating Island is not just inhabited by Knuckles and a bunch of animals; similar to Archie's version, they have a government, a civilization... they're basically a country (albeit a very tiny one, obviously). It's a detail in this story, but it does contribute a bit to this rendering of the Sonic/Knuckles rivalry. Anyway, enjoy, and review if you wish to, I'm curious as to how this story is received by others. Thanks!

Final note: some of the readers have expressed after reading chapter 1 the perfectly understandable and respectable opinion that the prose is a bit heavy (I agree). It is not my wish at all to unfairly encourage people to read this story; the only thing I want to say is that if you're a bit scared by chapter 1, know that's it's really the only chapter that's all prose. While it is an important chapter (it explains Amy's exile), it's still a prologue. If after reading it, you're not sure whether you want to read the story, I just want to humbly suggest (you don't have to follow my suggestion) to glance at chapter 2, which is much more representative of the style of writing of the fanfic as a whole, with dialogue and so on. Also, chapter 2 is very short (the shortest of the story), so you'll know very quickly whether you want to read on or stop there.

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PART ONE

Ch 1. (Prologue)

**Egregious Exile**

----

This early summer evening on the deserted continent known as Ambrosia found a trio of friends setting up their camp for the night. They were travelers on foot, tracing a determined itinerary through the landmass that ranged from clear, grassy plains to immense forests of evergreens that spawned most of the land. Save for a few villages of indigenous northwestern tribes, the continent was more or less untouched by civilization. Traveling steadfastly at a good pace during the daytime, the adventurers set up their tents every evening. Their undertaking was for the benefit of the Republic of Mobius, a newly founded regime after the defeat of the dictator known as Dr. Eggman and the subsequent overthrow of the monarchy.

However, out of the three travelers, only two were government agents involved in this covert operation: the famous Sonic the Hedgehog, previous war hero, 20-year-old fun-loving thrill-seeker, and all-around nice guy, if sometimes a little impudent; and his right hand and best friend Tails the Fox. While avoiding the "superhero" tags, the two of them both possessed special abilities: Sonic was renowned for being the fastest runner on Mobius, while Tails could fly at a good pace using his two tails as helicopter blades.

Although it didn't seem like it at first glance, the third companion was actually very out of place within the team. Amy Rose the Hedgehog was not an agent by any means, nor had she ever been part of that mission. That evening she was checking out her tarot cards, having nothing better to do. At age sixteen, she still wore her trademark orange skirt and white sneakers, but was now sporting a denim jean jacket on top of a white t-shirt that bore the logo of her favorite band.

"What do they tell you?" asked Tails. "Can you predict any type of success for our operation?"

Amy smirked harmlessly. "Tails, I've told ya… You can't, like, ask them questions. Predicting the future is not an exact science," she lectured.

"Whatever," Tails shrugged. "I wonder if they could've told us about you. I still can't believe how you showed up like that yesterday. I thought you were still in boarding school, you know. It was like you appeared out of nowhere."

To say that Amy's presence had been unexpected would have been an understatement. Upon arriving at the St. Damien trading post – the very last post on the frontier – a few days back, Sonic and Tails had been astonished to discover that a message had been waiting for them from Amy Rose. Not only had the pair not seen Amy for years, but they also could hardly believe possible her presence in an area completely removed from civilization. She bade them to meet her at a precise aboriginal village a few dozen miles from the trading post, deep into the frontier. It was more or less on their way anyway, so a few days later they found her at the village, where she had been living among the natives for a week. The reunion had been joyous, even if Amy was reluctant to give detailed explanations for her sudden appearance. Thankfully, Sonic and Tails didn't press her – they'd figure it out later, the important thing at the moment being how to execute the mission within this new configuration.

In truth, Amy's unexpected presence had a lot to do with the complex rapport she had entertained years ago with Tails and more particularly with Sonic. She was a good friend of the two creatures during the war, and had often been involved with them on a number of exciting adventures, most of them aimed at thwarting Dr. Eggman's evil schemes. Although she was a fun person to have around, she did have a knack for getting herself in sticky situations, and wasn't always an asset to Sonic when he was dealing with the evildoers. He didn't really mind it – in that period of his life, beating up bad guys and saving the day was more a game than anything. He repeatedly saved Amy and Tails from some very dangerous situations, but they always laughed about it afterwards in front of a campfire. They had been children – young, carefree, reckless, and oblivious to danger.

However, Amy had also developed a schoolgirl crush on the "blue blur" (as he was sometimes called), which provided some sources of tension. Sonic had already pledged his love to someone else, and finding oneself the object of Amy's harassment could be quite irksome. Indeed, Amy was not fully aware of the annoyance she could cause. She only wanted to get his attention, but with the immaturity of the child that she was, she didn't know how to be subtle about it. It was always: "Hi Sonic, where are you going? I'll come with you," she would add before he could even answer. Her efforts always come across as nagging, not to mention her every-hour phone calls to Sonic just to say "hi, sweety." Many times, Amy let herself get captured on purpose, just because she wanted Sonic to rescue her. Whenever Tails was around, everything was fine – they were a group of friends and spent the time as such. It was when Amy cornered him by himself that Sonic simply wished to put a greater distance between the two of them.

And so the tension built not only over Amy's knack for getting into trouble, but mostly over her persistence at gaining Sonic's affection. At one point Tails had been sent away for a few months to a training camp to complete his skills, and Sonic found himself victim of Amy's efforts to put herself in evidence more then he could endure. Although he wasn't used to getting in fights, he started to quarrel with her, and the altercations became louder and louder.

"Amy, you can't tag along all the time, you always get yourself in trouble!" he would start to say.

"Oh stop it Sonic, you can't wait for Dr. Eggman to capture me again so you'll be rid of me!" she would answer, pretending to cry and hoping Sonic would console her. The situation came to a head when Sonic's friends realized that his anger kept him from enjoying his life and his identity as a hero. He started to fail a few missions, which put a strain in their effort to defeat the evil dictator. Supposedly for the "greater good," Amy was taken away, far from the war, the aim being to separate her from Sonic and allow her to get a normal upbringing in a suburban community on the other side of the world.

In some respect, the plan worked – with Amy sent to boarding school, Sonic and his friends were able to conclude the war victoriously in a few years. However, unbeknownst to them, Amy steadfastly refused to accept her fate and forget Sonic. Clinging to her memories of him, she sporadically kept in touch with Tails, who assured her that Sonic hadn't wished for her deportation, that he had been uncomfortable about it yet unable to act due to his psychological distress at the time. Unfortunately, this had the effect of letting Amy conclude that she still had a shot at embarking on a romantic relationship with her idol.

Hanging on to that self-made truth, Amy wasn't able to develop a sense of reality and refused every revelation that contradicted with her intimate conviction. She viewed her fate as nothing less than egregious exile, while her intense resentment allowed her to shun herself from the attempts of the community to educate her. Loathing her entourage with the utmost contempt, she refused to communicate with anyone and became withdrawn, only unleashing her love of life in her spirited correspondence with Tails. Adults around her concluded she was going through a phase and that she would grow out of it, but they were wrong. As she reached her sixteenth birthday, Amy decided it was time to take action.

After a complicated process of hacking in the online system of the army of the Republic with the help of a deranged computer geek whom she paid copiously (using funds she had cunningly nicked from her boardinghouse), Amy discovered that Sonic and Tails were to be sent to Ambrosia for a mysterious mission somewhere in a wild, deserted forest. Without a second thought, she gave her home the slip, determined to reach Ambrosia and meet up with her two comrades. It was a difficult journey, far more arduous than she could previously have imagined, but Amy had now finally succeeded in finding her old friends.

Their first meeting the previous night after almost six years spent apart had been slightly awkward, yet on the whole Sonic and Tails seemingly welcomed her presence and treated her like the old friend she was. They had been unaware of Amy's true experience in exile, so they took Amy in good faith, recognizing her as their feisty and cheerful former partner. Although she was a bit apprehensive about not fitting in too well considering that they were sent by the government for a precise job, she shrugged off that thought by conceptualizing the adventure as one reminiscent of their old wild days – beating up bad guys, getting into trouble, Sonic saving the day, and everybody laughing about it afterwards. Inside, she was glad – it was as if she finally had the chance to fulfill her happiness, by rejoining the people she felt were her true friends, and by having another shot at gaining Sonic's romantic affection.

Late in the evening, after the three furry animals had slipped into the tent to get a good night's rest, Amy watched her two partners, already fast asleep (Tails was snoring). In their presence, her happiness was palpable and her optimism extended its boundaries. It was going to be all right. Or so she thought.


	2. Acceptance

**Acceptance**

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Woken up by the intense sunrays that pierced the tarp, Amy slowly came to her senses. She realized she was the only person left in the tent; Sonic and Tails had not shaken her awake. She had had a pleasant sleep for the first time in a while, as if her preoccupations had vanished and her journey was realized. Attracted by the soft voices of her companions outside, she peeked outside the tent and saw Sonic and Tails crouched and studying a map that lied on the ground just in front of them. Amy walked over to them and glanced at it.

"Hi, you guys," she said sweetly.

"Hey," they both answered, looking up briefly and giving a friendly nod before looking down at the map again. Amy looked over their shoulders to see what they were studying. It was a crudely drawn map of a gigantic round clearing somewhere in the middle of the forest. Deep inside the clearing she could make out scribbles that apparently designated some structures or buildings. If her assumptions were correct, the map was describing a small city or military base. She guessed that it was in fact their final destination, for she knew that they were to travel deep into the forest starting today.

"… see Tails, you ought to set up right over there," Sonic affirmed, pointing at a spot just outside the represented clearing, a short distance into the forest. "That's directly south from the base. Do you think you can find that spot?"

"I'll try. It should be okay. I sort of remember what the area looks like," Tails said. "Do you know when you'll meet up with me?"

Sonic folded the map and got to his feet, as did Tails. "I think it will take us a week. Maybe less. We should get there some two days after you."

Amy then noticed something curious. At the mention of that length of time, Amy swore she saw a strange gleam in Tails' eyes. It only lasted a second, but it did surprise her.

Apparently Sonic noticed it too, for he said a bit sternly: "Tails, stay focused. Remember what I said and don't forget our objective. And don't forget we'll catch up with you really soon."

"Right. I'll finish packing up my things."

As Tails walked off, Amy stepped closer to Sonic and said: "I'm guessing that you're sending Tails ahead of us?"

"Yeah." He turned to her. "Uh, I'll explain later. Do you want some coffee? Sorry I didn't wake you."

Amy smiled. She couldn't believe that after all these years, she was finally in his company, and he was asking her about something so trivial and routine. She nodded cheerfully. "Sure. Coffee would be great, thanks!"

By the time breakfast was over, Tails had finished packing his gear and was ready to say goodbye to his friends.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you guys in a week or so," he said pulling his kit on his back.

"Sure thing, big guy. We'll be there soon, I promise," Sonic said with a friendly face. "And don't pull any stunts! Leave that to me."

Tails chuckled. Turning to Amy, he said, "Amy don't hog him too much, okay? He needs to be on top form next week."

Amy grinned. "I'll try to keep that in mind. Most of the time, anyway," she said mischievously.

Tails jumped and launched his two tails into action. Soon he was hovering gently over the two of them. "All right Amy. Stay out of trouble!"

"Hey," countered Sonic, "I should be telling you this, Tails! Need I remind you about the times when you…"

"No, you don't need to remind me! Anyway, I'm off!" And with that, he sped into the air, headed for the forest and flew over the canopy, and was soon little more than a disappearing speck in the horizon.

"Why did you send him away?" Amy asked as the two hedgehogs watched the sight of their gone friend fade.

"On the map, you saw that clearing, right? That place is called Borealis, it's our final destination. I wanted to arrive there on a precise day, but it turns out we can't be on schedule, so I'm sending Tails ahead. He'll be much faster and will survey the site for me in my stead."

"Why can't you be on schedule? Don't you run faster than he flies?"

Sonic looked a bit embarrassed. He turned to her. "I can't run as fast if I'm not on my own. You wouldn't be able to keep up. Only Tails can."

Amy smiled. "Okay," she said simply, but inside she was jubilant once more. Sonic had not mentioned before whether she could tag along for the adventure. Although she had assumed that she could, it warmed her heart knowing it for sure and hearing it directly from Sonic. It was a confirmation that her choice to seek him and Tails had been the right one. Amy's state of mind was such that she subconsciously chose not to consider the more down-to-earth aspects of this particular situation. According to her way of thinking, Sonic's acceptance of her was 100 percent positive, motivated only by friendship and possibly love, at the very least by an appreciation of the tremendous effort on her part to find her friends despite the peril encountered during her journey.

In fact, from that day now a month ago when she had left her community, Amy's trek had been at best a laborious undertaking. Some of her decisions, actions, and experiences had occasionally been rather dubious. Amy had acted with a single goal in mind: catching up with Sonic and Tails. She had thus dismissed any care for the consequences of her actions. Now that she had attained her objective, little did Amy realize that her choices during that fateful past month would dramatically alter her fate way beyond what she had intended.


	3. Double Threat

**Double Threat**

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"Where are we going, Sonic?"

Sonic looked up. It had been two days since they entered the forest, and they had been running relentlessly at a good pace while trying to stay on course and avoid the trees. Amy ran some of the way, but most of the time Sonic picked up her hand and pulled her along, for she lacked both the speed and the endurance to keep up for the entire day. They had stopped to set up camp for that night when Amy asked that question. Of course she knew a few bits from hacking in the army's online system, but she wanted to know more, and had to feign ignorance anyway.

"Uh… You know, up north," Sonic replied. "You saw that map, right?"

"Yeah, but I meant… What are we doing there?"

"Oh." Sonic understood what she was referring to. She wanted to know of what consisted the mission. "Uh… You know about the Ambrosians, right? I don't know if they cover it in school…"

Amy shrugged. "I thought Ambrosia was just an empty continent. But I never listened in school anyway, so I wouldn't really know."

Sonic chuckled. "Can't blame you. I myself hardly even went to school… When the war was over I enrolled again but I couldn't sit still, so I skipped class most of the time. But I'm getting off topic… Right, Ambrosian civilization has been extinct for a couple generations now," Sonic explained. "They had migrated to the north thousands of years ago and survived through the centuries in small numbers. Their lives were devoted to science and philosophy, according to the old ways… whatever that means. But when they were found out about 200 years ago, their knowledge and civilization, which had become some kind of utopia, became wanted. Rumor had it that they possessed at lot of ancient scrolls… You know, from Antiquity. Supposedly they'd retrieved it when the ancient empires fell, and it's the reason these scrolls were lost all of these years. Long story short, when none of the different countries could agree on how to share the Ambrosians' knowledge, the monarchies bombed Ambrosia and extinguished its people."

Amy opened her mouth in shock. "But… They were all killed? All the other countries just ganged up on them?"

Sonic made a gesture to nuance Amy's point. "Not exactly. All the different powers were at war with each other. They just wiped out the Ambrosians to make sure none of their rivals could, uh… retrieve the loot."

"That's just horrible," said Amy sadly, looking to the ground.

"Well, it's our nature," Sonic replied philosophically. "No, I agree," he said quickly, seeing Amy's revolted look after his last comment. "But we're not here to set history right. The Ambrosians have been extinguished for decades now."

"So why did they send you?"

"Tails and I have to see whether there's anything left. No one's come back to Borealis since the bombing campaign, it was impossible because of all the different wars, and later because of Eggman, and the civil war… Now that we have peace, it's a different story. There are some scrolls left, I know it. We call them the Ambrosian Files."

Amy frowned. "But everything was destroyed… Why would there be anything left?"

"Amy, Tails and I… Well…" Sonic paused for a slight moment. "I can't really get into that – it's more or less classified – but I know there is some stuff still intact. And I know that Tails and I have the means to bring it back."

Amy was a curious person by nature, but she thought she would rather find out the whole story by herself rather than initiate a full-blown interrogation. "Okay, so if I understand correctly, you're here to find a bunch of manuscripts, scriptures, tablets, whatever… The 'Ambrosian Files,' I guess… Well, do you want to know what I think?"

Sonic looked up. "Sure. What do you think?"

Amy composed herself. "If you ever find those, uh… scrolls… I'm guessing you'll just bring them back home, where your scientists will study them and stuff…"

"Uh-uh…"

"Well, don't you have a problem with that?"

Sonic frowned. "I don't understand… It's what I what sent for. That's what I want to do."

"But Sonic, don't you care that we killed all these people?"

Sonic let out a sigh. "C'mon… That was almost 200 years ago, Amy. It's not like the people who sent those bombers are still living."

Amy's eyes lit up. "We are their descendants! We're the descendants of the ones who destroyed their civilization. That knowledge, technology, philosophy, whatever, is not for us. It's not ours. And the Republic could use it to do harm."

"Harm?"

"Yes, just like they did 200 years ago. Why would we be different?"

Sonic shook his head. "Amy… You're confusing things. I don't mean to disrespect the Ambrosians. But… our government from 200 years ago, and our government now… It's not even the same regime! We just won the war against Eggman, restored the Republic…"

"Why do you trust your Republic?"

"Because it's the same group of people I worked with for years to fight the war. We've always worked together and it was only to defeat Eggman and free the people he had enslaved. You know… all our friends from way back when. We were rebels and now we're a Republic. But it's the same people."

Amy was incredulous. "So… This government that you trust… Do you actually know the people in the government?"

"I met some… I don't know them well though. Well, back during the war, you remember I dated the princess, but she's not in politics anymore…"

"So how can you trust your politicians if you don't know them personally?"

Again, Sonic sighed, a bit annoyed. "They're elected by the people. Look, Amy, I know what I'm doing. I have good reasons to trust the government and the army. I'll bring them back the Ambrosian Files."

For once, Sonic actually sounded stern. Amy knew the time to challenge his trust towards the Republic was over.

"Okay… So what's the rush? If you sent Tails ahead, you must have a tight schedule."

"Right."

"But if there's no one at the site… You told me these guys have been dead for 200 years. Why do you bother sending Tails early?"

Sonic shook his dead vigorously. "No, no, no, if it were that simple, they would've sent some team of archeologists or something…" Sonic paused for a moment before launching into an explanation. "Well, two things. First, there were a few survivors. As far as I know, only one is alive today. He's known to us as El, a dedicated fighter, self-proclaimed defender of Borealis. But he's a nut. His predecessors were allied to Eggman, I guess out of resentment against the monarchy that ordered their destruction. They built a metal base about 25 years ago, which they named Borealis. Which sounds rather moronic, I know."

Amy opened her eyes wide, surprised at the existence of an Eggman-like city near the end of the world.

"Yeah… But it's in decay. El can't maintain it, it's really huge. It's just a bunch of warehouses stacked together. I think Eggman intended to use it as storage, especially since it was so inaccessible," Sonic explained. "Avoid El though, he's extremely dangerous. I swear, his senses must be twice as acute as ours or something."

"All right. And the second thing?" asked Amy.

Sonic clenched his teeth. "Ooh boy… Well, I shouldn't really… But basically, there's been a leak. Someone – some traitor, obviously – leaked the army's files on Ambrosia to the Floating Island. And they sent Knuckles and a bunch of people to Ambrosia. You remember Knuckles right?"

Amy nodded and smiled smugly. "A leak eh?"

"Yes. I know what you're thinking, Amy, and it's besides the point. In any case, uh, Knuckles and his people are ahead of us, so we didn't have time to prepare a proper expedition. That's why only Tails and I are sent. We obviously lack manpower, but we're fast, we're the only ones who can catch up and beat the others to the site. It's a matter of days though. The Floating Island's course brings it not far from Borealis, so Knux is on his way with a bunch of people."

"But Sonic, I thought you were friends with Knuckles!"

Sonic smiled gently, which Amy instantly found attractive. "Uh… Yes, we're friends, sort of… It's complicated." Sonic paused for a second. "I'm not sure why he agreed to do this. But I know there's also a government on the Floating Island that he has to answer to. I'm just hoping that we'll get there and leave before he arrives, so we don't have to fight him."

"And if he gets there ahead of us?"

"Hopefully he won't. Because they – they _will_ have manpower. They'll deploy their people, secure the area… They'll send the Chaotix ahead. And also…"

"What's up?" Amy said as Sonic paused.

"They hired a mercenary. A good one – not the kind you want to cross paths with."

"A mercenary!" Sonic's tone was not so menacing, but Amy sensed a chill race down her spine. "That's not Knuckles' style, definitely not," she said. "I don't know him as well as you do, but it feels pretty weird knowing he hired a mercenary…"

"You're right. It's not. Which is why we're surprised. And by reputation, this guy is no cupcake. As far as he's concerned, the end – his retainer – justifies the means. You don't want to be in his way. He's fought in many wars before… He's killed so many. I'm not sure why Knuckles hired Slug, it's definitely a weird move…"

"Sonic, Sonic, hold on," Amy said quickly. "Did you say Slug? As in Slug the Machine?"

"Yeah… You've heard of him?"

"Yes," Amy said very stiffly. "Yes, I've heard of him." That felt like the final word, yet when Sonic was out of earshot, Amy murmured: "_we've met_."


	4. Destructive Obsession

**Destructive Obsession**

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Slug. Slug the Machine. That name resonated in Amy's head ceaselessly since Sonic had uttered it at dinner. She unfortunately knew Slug well enough for him to hold much more than a grudge. In fact, they were recent enemies. She knew he was a mercenary, but had never dreamed that she could be so close to meeting him again in an area so removed from civilization, of all places.

All of a sudden she remembered Knuckles as well. Guardian of the Floating Island and of the Chaos Emeralds held in the island's hidden palace. She had met him a few times back in the day when his path crossed Sonic's and Tails'. They had been friends, more or less – Knuckles' dedication to his duties always came first, which could put him at odds with even his friends, and he had always been a bit mysterious. However, she also remembered that Knuckles worked mostly by himself, really trusting no one, save for his little gang known as the Chaotix. It came as a surprise to hear today that he not only seemed to now have a host at his command, but also had actually hired no less than a mercenary, and not any mercenary.

Amy was thoroughly convinced of Slug's enmity towards her. They had crossed paths only very recently, as Amy was making her way towards Ambrosia in the hope of catching up with Sonic and Tails. She had done Slug a great wrong, too great and too recent. She had acted impulsively and carelessly, for the only thing she cared about had been catching up with Sonic. She perceived herself as overwhelmingly smitten with her crush and so deprived of any other feeling because of her long and painful exile that her trip simply came to represent her entire_raison d'être_. As a result, anyone she encountered was either merely a bystander or a tool to help her in her quest. She had thus betrayed Slug, not knowing that the consequences of her act would hit her with such force.

Now frightened by the prospect of meeting Slug again, she went back in her mind through the events of her quest to understand how she went as far as arousing Slug's fiercest hatred…

----

Amy thought she had meticulously planned her trek. She had checked out many maps, bus fares, she had discreetly spoken to a few travelers who came by her community. Although she knew she would have to improvise a bit, especially once she would reach the Ambrosian continent (for it was mostly deserted and few risked to travel beyond the frontier), she remained very confident of her success, based on what she perceived as her intelligence and perseverance.

However, once on her way to Ambrosia, Amy quickly realized the money she had gathered for her excursion was vastly insufficient. Traveling costs were much higher than expected, although she suspected that travel agents inveighed her into paying superior sums than those required, taking advantage of her young age. Then, while going out for a drink after her bus had stopped for the night, she was mugged of her change. Thankfully, it had not been the bulk of her funds, but an attempt at refurbishing her purse through a game of poker with some co-travelers turned sour, mostly because she was only halfway familiar with the rules. When Amy reached Freetown, she was practically broke.

Freetown was a seaport located on the isthmus that connected Ambrosia to Amy's home continent, and Amy knew that she had to take a boat that would sail the west coast of the continent all the way to Seaside, a smaller town near the edge of the great Ambrosian forest. However, with little money available, Amy knew she wouldn't get very far, let alone book a seat for a 500-mile cruise. She couldn't even return to her community. In any case, she didn't want to turn back now, for in her mind, she had left nothing of substance behind – no friends, no family, no happy memories. She thus proceeded to take a room near the port and hung out across the docks, checking out the various boats, befriending the sailors at the local bars, and waiting for an opportunity.

That opportunity presented itself one night, while she was nursing her beer at the bar in the company of a local seafarer. (She was not used to drinking beer, but chose to force herself in order to integrate within the crowd as much as possible.) After some small talk, she informed him she was looking for a hitch to Seaside. Their conversation continued for a while, until another person at the bar who had been listening quietly came up to them. He was a dark brown mongoose, was slightly taller than Amy and wore a fedora.

"I hear you're looking to get to Seaside as soon as possible?"

"Why, yes," answered Amy. "My name's Amy Rose."

"Good. I have a small sailboat that I usually operate with my wife, but she's recovering from an illness… If you're willing to help out, I can take you."

"It's a deal," said Amy without hesitation. She knew nothing about boats, but was so determined that she was willing to do anything to get to Seaside quickly.

"Then we leave tonight," said the mongoose abruptly. Meet me in three hours exactly by the dock." With that, he turned away and, leaving a bill on the counter, left the bar.

Amy was a bit perplexed by this laconic encounter. She turned to the seafarer.

"Do you know this guy?" she asked.

"He's a familiar face we see every once in awhile. He's called Slug the Machine."

This was how Amy had met the now infamous Slug. He had been as anxious as Amy to sail up north quickly and hired her on the spot, regardless of her inexperience. If he assumed that Amy was familiar with seafaring because she was hanging out at a sailor's bar, he was deceived; in any event, Slug took charge of the ship, assigning to Amy the tasks of cleaning, cooking, and attending to his wife Anya who was still in bed recovering from the flu.

During the trip she had very little contact with Slug, who clearly didn't want to have anything to do with her. Their only exchanges happened when he had to assign her various tasks that mostly had to do with attending to his wife. Amy noticed how there was something very intimidating about Slug, about the hardened determination in his demeanor, so she was content to stay out of his way. As for Anya, she was similar to her husband and treated Amy as little more than a servant. The coldness of their rapports suited Amy just fine, however. She only cared about reaching Seaside in time to start her trek through the Ambrosian forest.

However, Amy worked long enough for Slug to enter once into his office. Slug habitually locked it, but Amy found one day as she jiggled the handle that it was open. Since Slug was usually rather vague about her cleaning duties (they seldom spoke anyways), Amy thought she might perform the task in his office. It was a curious place, filled with paper-clad cabinets and a desk, a ship-to-shore radio, various souvenirs from around the world… There was also a large open armoire with an impressive arsenal of weapons – firearms, knives, swords of various kinds, hatchets, et cetera. As Amy proceeded with her duties, she stumbled upon a few unsettling discoveries when she opened the drawers in the desk. Of mightiest curiosity was first of all a heavy drug paraphernalia, complete with a syringe, at which Amy cringed. In another drawer she found an impressive pile of cold, hard cash staring at her. She had no urge to grab it, yet her contemplation thereof was one of stupor. Never before had she been confronted to a disposal of such a large sum of money.

Slug confronted Amy that night and asked her not to come inside his office again. Amy gradually forgot about it during the rest of the trip, since her mind was set on her goal to catch up to Sonic and Tails, and she easily replaced the vacuity of her relations with her co-travelers by fantasizing on the fulfillment soon brought by the reunion with her two former best friends.

When the ship landed at Seaside, Amy quickly set out to find a guide that could take her through the forest to the Saint Damien trading post on the frontier, where she knew Sonic and Tails would stop to gather their last supplies before venturing into the forest. However, she was in for an unpleasant surprise.

"I definitely cannot take you all the way there," said the guide. "There's a raw path through the forest that we can drive through with my jeep, but Saint Damien is too far. I'll take you through the forest and you'll eventually reach an aboriginal village where your friends can meet you."

But most of all, his fee was more than thrice the money Amy had left. She was crushed. Time was not on her side, because she knew Sonic would arrive rather soon at Saint Damien. If she didn't find the money soon, she would lose all hope of catching up with him.

Then she remembered the pile of cash sitting in Slug's office.

After sending a radiotelegraph to the Saint Damien trading post intended for Sonic and Tails, she went back to the dock and waited for Slug to step out to buy his supplies.

She stole his money. It was not too difficult since she knew where to find the key to the office, but she did run into Slug moments later as she fled through town. They had looked at one another, Slug not knowing then, of course, that she was a thief. As Amy looked back on her deed, it was difficult to understand why she had been that quick to evacuate her scruples so easily. From the start of her journey, and even from her days in exile, she had been so determined in her goal and immersed in her fantasy that she hadn't stopped to question her act. In any event, she was headed for the unknown, beyond the frontier, where there was no civilization, no rule of law of any kind.

But now that she knew Slug was bound for Borealis along with Knuckles, her mistake was boomeranging with a vengeance. Suddenly the various conjunctures all made sense at once. Slug was a mercenary and his nature and purpose accounted for everything she had found in his office – the money, the drugs, the weapons. His trip towards Seaside had actually been undertaken for the purpose of meeting up with his employer, Knuckles.

Amy was now faced with the prospect of running into Slug within only a few days. She was heading for a foreseeable danger by becoming the target of lethal force for money and for vengeance. Slug was a creature made to kill. Amy realized she could be his next victim.

----

Thanks for reading this. In any case I drew a map of Ambrosia to show how Amy met up with Sonic and Tails and where they are all headed.

map of Ambrosia: www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006map . jpg

Sorry about this weird link, but the documents editor program wouldn't accept it otherwise. You just have to paste it to the address bar of your browser and delete all the spaces.


	5. I Cannot Reach

**I Cannot Reach**

----

As Sonic and Amy moved deeper into the forest during the course of the next day, Amy pondered her situation given the revelation of her enemy's probable presence in Borealis. She felt that a meeting with the mercenary would surely result in an antagonistic confrontation for which she wasn't prepared, and in which she could very well meet her demise. Amy didn't necessarily lack bravery, but she wasn't reckless to a point that she could ignore her representation of Slug. She had seen his lair with her own eyes, and although she hadn't heeded it when she had sailed with him, these subconscious images worked her way in her superconscious – a hypermnesia, in some way, of the symbols that indicated Slug's invincibility and formidability.

Even so, Amy retained hope for salvation. Ever since her reunion with Sonic and Tails, she felt that the deliverance of a renewed friendship was near. Therein laid her survival, but the urgency of this event was sharply augmented by Slug's presence. Amy had to take her place in the group as quickly as possible. It represented solidarity and protection. If she could convince Sonic that she was their equal and ally, they would help her in the end, not just out of friendship but out of a cohesion exacerbated by an atmosphere of conflict, for the trio would be a single body facing either the Ambrosians or the Islanders.

With that precise thought in mind, Amy tried to talk to Sonic after their dinner that night. However, she was still discreet about her presence in Ambrosia and her trek to get there, because of course she could not reveal to Sonic her true state of mind. Instead, she tried another approach.

"By the way, where's Tails?" she asked. They had been chatting mildly throughout dinner so there was nothing brutal about Amy bringing up this topic.

"Uh… You know, I sent him as a scout. If you remember that map… He should have set up somewhere in the forest very near that base."

"I'm just thinking, aren't you afraid he'll get in trouble? I mean, he's still so young, I remember how he used to be so silly."

Sonic chuckled. "Yeah, well, he's been training. We're much more rational than we used to be."

"Isn't he still a bit reckless?" Amy sounded very casual, but she knew where she wanted this conversation to go.

Sonic obviously didn't notice any veiled intent on Amy's part. "Well, yes… I don't know if you noticed, but… Well…" Sonic looked a bit embarrassed. "Anyway, yeah. A bit of a loose cannon. But I was like that at his age, maybe worse," he said with a slight smile.

"Okay," said Amy casually. "But, you know, maybe it's not very cool, because like, you seem to be pretty serious about this mission."

Sonic shrugged. "You're right, but I can't really do anything about that. It's a minor point anyway. Tails is really good otherwise. Well. Most of the time, anyway… I hope everything goes well this time."

Amy sensed this opportunity. "At least I'll be around. I can be levelheaded."

Sonic smiled weakly. "Uh… Yeah…"

"I mean, I'm uh, what I mean is I wouldn't let you down, you know?"

Sonic said nothing – Amy had spoken in the conditional.

"Okay," Sonic said finally, "but I have Tails, I trust him."

"Of course you do," Amy said, "I'm just saying what I'd be like if I was your sidekick."

"But you're not," said Sonic.

There was a finality in Sonic's tone that clearly indicated that the conversation wasn't going to get any further. Amy didn't say more. Neither did Sonic. And neither of them looked at each other for a while.

Amy sensed how the ambiguity of her rapport with Sonic became more evident. She had tried, perhaps in vain, to subtly give him the sense that she could be part of their unit, that she was valuable. Sonic's final words seemed to reveal the hermetic nature of her 6-year separation with her two friends, as if that friendship was just a memory whose tangibility lied behind an unbreakable wall.

Amy tried to push away these depressing thoughts by telling herself it was just a matter of time, and that their physical reunion would sooner or later be followed by their psychic reunion. However, she was not prepared at all for what happened next. Indeed, after a few moments of silence, Sonic spoke again. His voice and demeanor were still innocuous (if not friendly), but also translated a dangerous embarrassment.

"Look, Amy Rose… I think it would be better if you… uh…" Sonic was having trouble finding the right words and nervously rubbed his forehead, not looking at Amy the eye. Amy watched him apprehensively. Finally Sonic faced her. "I just don't think you should be around us while we look for the Ambrosian Files. It's not only dangerous fighting El, it might also be a very competitive situation with Knuckles and his gang. You won't really be an asset to us."

Amy was very tense. She sensed that her plan to prove herself useful had backfired, but she didn't give up yet. "I… I don't understand. I'm here to help you guys, just like when we were fighting Dr. Eggman. It's not such a big deal."

Sonic chuckled a bit sarcastically. "I don't think you really understand. I personally can't really figure out why you're here, how you knew we were coming… But it is a big deal. Things are not really the way they were. The situation is much more complicated than you seem to think."

"I don't see why," Amy protested. "I'm a lot stronger than before. Six years ago I had no training, neither did you or Tails, and we were already a team."

Sonic sighed again. He looked a bit perplexed. "Okay, Amy… I should be honest. I don't mean to be unfriendly or mad to see you again – but your presence… well, to me, it's a bit… suspicious." At the mention of this word he jerked his head back briefly. "There, I said it. I'm sorry but I don't know how to say it in another way."

Amy had trouble hiding her frustration. "I don't see why it can't be like it was before…" When she said that it almost sounded like a plea.

"I just think you're a bit out of place. I just want Tails and me to be completely independent during this mission. It's important, because of the stakes, the danger involved… It's important to have… you know… flexibility."

"So what do you suggest? Should I just walk back?"

Again, Sonic looked uncomfortable. For all his courage in the face of danger, he was just as Amy remembered him: it was much more difficult to confront his friends than his enemies. "Don't be silly, of course not… However… I was thinking… Maybe… Maybe you could meet up with Knuckles and his crew."

That really took Amy by surprise. Not just surprise but an alarm. She had sensed this conversation was not going well for her, but she really wasn't prepared for this possibility. With the dreaded Slug in Knuckles' entourage, this was the last thing she could stand. Her fear and anger were palpable; her expression betrayed this. "W-W-What do you mean?" she stuttered. "What do you want me to do?"

"Uh… Well since he's most probably going to be around soon… We can arrange for you to meet him at his camp. You'll be safer there."

"Sonic, no. I can't." She said firmly.

"What… what's the matter?"

"You want to get rid of me!" she said, clenching her teeth.

"But… No no no, it's not what you think… We can always meet up afterwards! In a few weeks or so, when it's all over. We'll meet again. But I just can't have you around during the mission. The most probable outcome is that Tails and I will have to make a break for it and sneak out of Borealis and try to reach the west coast of Ambrosia. If that happens it should just be Tails and I or we could fail."

"I… I can't," she said weakly.

Sonic was getting frustrated as well. "But it's no big deal… Knuckles will recognize you, I know he will. I know he seems a bit rough, but he's fair. You can trust him no problem. What's wrong?"

"I can't, Sonic. I'm sorry but it's simply not possible."

"But _why_?"

"I just don't want to!"

Sonic's irritation was mounting. He could not understand Amy's position. "Amy, I think you're… I'm sorry, but you're just being selfish. What counts is the success of this mission. You're just trying to put yourself above everything else!"

"No!" Amy said shaking her head vigorously. "No, it's not that! It's not what you think!"

"What is it then?"

Amy was paralyzed. She was dying to tell Sonic the real reason why she wanted to avoid Knuckles and Slug like the plague, so he would understand what she was going through. She needed Sonic's support more than ever, but at the same time she could never reveal that she was a thief, especially since she had done everything because she was in love with him and wanted to see him again.

"I can't tell you," she said defeated.

Sonic paused for a moment. He didn't know what to say either. "I don't understand you, Amy Rose. But I don't really have a choice. When Knuckles arrives, you're going to have to leave us."

"No! No, Sonic, no! You can't do this to me!" she shouted in anger and anguish.

Sonic was looking at her questioningly. At a loss for words, he soon got up and walked away to slip into the tent, leaving Amy who stiffly remained in her seat, upset and angry.


	6. And The Wind Cried Amy

**And The Wind Cried Amy**

----

Amy's consternation was absolute. Moments earlier, she had been resolute on fighting for the success of her survival, emancipation, and fulfillment of her dreams. Yet this stunning development left her paralyzed. Not only did she feel rejected by the creature she was most fond of, and her only friend save Tails, she also had to come to grips with the knowledge that she was to be sent to the enemy. In her mind, Sonic was (unknowingly) throwing her to the lions. If the thought of being brought to the infamous Slug was terrifying in itself, the only thing worse was that its cause stemmed from the will of Sonic himself, even if he didn't realize Amy's predicament.

It was in this state of dismay that Amy reluctantly followed Sonic the next day as they continued their journey towards Borealis. They had three more days of travel to go before their arrival. Amy hoped that perhaps Sonic might change his mind about her, but she was deceived. Sonic was definitely a bit more withdrawn than the previous days, as if unsure of his friendship towards Amy or unwilling to bother. It didn't help that Amy's pace was not as good since their quarrel. She was not willingly responsible for this, but her drive to reach Borealis had been diminished by the events of the previous nights, and she found it more difficult to convince her legs to run with the same energy as before. Sonic didn't reprimand her openly, but his seriousness convinced Amy that his disapproval of her presence became more solidly entrenched in his mind.

As the duo closed in on their destination, Amy's psychological distress worsened. It was rather unusual for her to give up, but her perception of Sonic's rejection was an unusually destructive setback. This was due to the state of mind that she carried over from her exile. For six long years, Amy had felt physically trapped but mentally liberated because she clung with a passion to the memory of her past life with her friends and to her crush on Sonic. By focusing on the fantasy of a future reunion with Sonic and Tails, she thought she had been able to endure relatively well the experience of her exile.

In truth, Amy's mental disposition during these six years was that of a prisoner whose hopes were artificially sustained by a fleeting dream. With Sonic's rejection, Amy was slowly and painfully grasping that the reality she had been pursuing was altered. That reality could not bring about her emancipation; it could only complete the missing experience of her exile: her acceptance thereof. Indeed, her previous hopes were but a veil just removed from her eyes, revealing that her experience in exile had been real, painful, and destructive. That experience had been little more than a six-year agony anesthetized by a fantasy that turned out to be an illusion.

With that in mind, Amy's thoughts vis-à-vis the doom that awaited her could only darken. The initial anger towards Sonic for his seeming rejection evolved: she soon violently cursed herself for her failure, even if she was unable to understand her shortcomings. Anger turned into anguish: as Slug's future presence firmly settled in her mind, the images she had subconsciously carried from her journey with the mercenary came back to haunt her. His cold demeanor, his ruthless efficiency, his frightening devices collected in his study all pointed to a quintessential embodiment of death and destruction. 

Amy's distress developed further with the manifestation of a feeling she had never experienced before. In the past, Amy had sometimes been in dangerous situations that had caused her anxiety, but always below the point of paralysis. Now, the fear of destruction at the hands of the nefarious fighter seemed to transform into an oily substance that traveled to every part of her body, as if she could distinctly feel it as a physical phenomenon. She felt this icy liquid was affecting her movements, which explained why she ran slower than before. She forced herself to overcome this burden by forcing her pace, but she could not evacuate the feeling that every step towards their destination was a step towards Slug and her death. This novel psychological disposition was thankfully not a constant, but it frightened Amy – she knew she could be denied the full possession of her means in a crucial moment.

Despite this dire state of mind, Amy was not actively agonizing. She knew she at least had a few days before a possible confrontation with this life-or-death situation, and tried to keep her sentiments inside. It was important to hide her feelings from Sonic, because her only hope, if she had any left, was still to integrate one way or another into the seemingly opaque Sonic/Tails duo.

Finally, three days after their quarrel, Sonic and Amy reached their destination. It was the middle of the afternoon.

They knew they were on the site when the density of the trees lessened a bit and very quickly opened to a vast plain, a gigantic 5-mile wide clearing in the middle of the forest. The relatively geometrical disposition of it suggested it was man-made, which Sonic confirmed it was – Dr. Eggman's creation. The reason therefore stood before them in the middle of the clearing: at a certain distance (perhaps 2 miles) of the edge of the forest where the two hedgehogs stood, one could appreciate the existence of a vast complex of metal buildings somewhat reminiscent of Robotropolis, the difference being in the lack of a prideful appearance: Borealis was old and deserted, marred by a shallow fog and silent save for the crows. What looked like a tiny replica of Eggman's metal city was just an array of unused warehouses, almost literally falling apart. Still, to find the vestiges of what had been a technological supremacy remained an awesome sight considering how removed this area was from civilization.

"There's something you don't see everyday," murmured Amy Rose. She then looked at Sonic, who was staring at the base with a determined look in his eyes. "What's up, Sonic?" she asked.

"I should go in there right now," he said very seriously.

"Uh… Don't you think we should find Tails first?"

Sonic shook his head. "He won't be at his camp."

"I don't understand," Amy replied. "Wasn't he supposed to set up near the edge of the forest… looks like 2 miles from here," she said pulling out Sonic's map (she had been carrying it in her knapsack recently). "He's almost directly south of this huge plain, if I'm reading this right."

Sonic was still fixated on his target. "No. I… I know he's over there," he said pointing at Borealis. "Probably in open sight. Now's the time for me to act. Tails is unknowingly creating a diversion for me."

Amy shrugged. "It sounds to me like you're just guessing…"

"I have a hunch." He turned to Amy. "Look, you should probably set up here – uh, not here exactly since it's in the open, but find a spot around here in the forest. I'll come back tonight or tomorrow and then we'll see. You know how to set up that tent, right?"

Amy couldn't help smiling a bit. "Yeah. I checked out how you did it these past few days. No problem."

"Okay, see you later."

And with that, he sped across the plain in the direction of the complex known as Borealis, leaving Amy on the edge of the forest to watch his flight.

END OF PART ONE


	7. Flight

PART TWO

Ch 7

**Flight**

----

With Sonic having long departed from the edge of the forest for Borealis, Amy finished setting up their small camp. She had found a small clearing buried in the trees a few yards from the plain, which was a good spot since it wasn't too easy to notice. It hadn't been too hard, for she mostly needed to install their tent and organize their various supplies to ease their availability. She was a bit disappointed Sonic hadn't asked to find Tails: it would make much more sense to regroup instead of having two different sites so far apart from one another. She looked at the map again and tried to memorize the spot marked for Tails' site.

Soon bored and lonely, Amy tried to avoid the dark thoughts of the danger she would soon face by drafting an entry in her diary. Although her writing distorted her true state of mind by omitting the distress she had been feeling lately, her description of Sonic was nonetheless genuine and passionate. In any event, it helped her wait for his return by anticipating her delight at the thought of it.

Unfortunately, Sonic did not return that evening, leaving Amy to spend the night by herself in the hope of avoiding nightmares.

Nor was there a trace of Sonic the next day. Amy hoped he had only been temporarily delayed, but in truth the relentless wait for his return without the possibility to act began to drive her crazy. The hours just seemed to grow longer. She often allowed herself to go check out the 5-mile-wide plain from its edge to verify if, by chance, her beloved would show up, but she was deceived every time.

Worse, her state of isolation could only serve to intensify her anxiety concerning her supposed fate with her archenemy, Slug the Machine. She knew he could show up in Borealis anytime and she wasn't prepared for it. As she let her mind wander during the constant process of waiting, her thoughts continued to grow darker. She could not keep her imagination from visualizing the dreadful things Slug could do to her, be it with his weapons, his drugs, or simply his bare hands.

Her anguish was only amplified by Sonic's absence. His failure to return, in Amy's point of view, was basically a pendant to his adamant rejection of her a few days back, even if the two events were in reality probably unrelated.

When she woke up the next morning, she realized it had already been almost two full days since she and Sonic had arrived to Borealis. The persistence of Sonic's absence continued to worry her, not only for her own fate but for Sonic's as well – what if he ran into trouble with the Ambrosians? Or with the Islanders? Amy shuddered at the thought of their possible presence on the site.

Fed up with inaction, Amy decided to step up her observation of the field. This time, grabbing Sonic's binoculars, she proceeded to climb one of the tallest trees she could find in order to observe the vast clearing as carefully as she could.

Peering through the device, she tried to make out the structure of the building complex. It was just as it had been two days ago: seemingly peaceful but cold edifices in decomposition. There was no sign of activity nor a trace of a bystander. Disappointed, Amy surveyed the rest of the plain. Nothing grabbed her attention.

That is, until something far, very far in the distance, way beyond the plain disturbed her to a point where she almost fell off the tree. It was but a speck on the horizon, some good distance away from Borealis, but Amy recognized it instantly. It was the Floating Island. Its natural course had conveniently taking it to the environs of Borealis, easing the deployment of its host.

In a panic, Amy ran down the tree and back to her camp. The image of the Floating Island had severely frightened her, because it was the first time her anxiety concerning Slug the Machine had materialized into something concrete that she could see with her own eyes.

Immediately, Amy decided on the only course of action seemingly left to her. She had to flee the site and find Tails as soon as possible. She thought she should have done it much sooner and cursed herself for having foolishly followed Sonic's bogus instruction to steadfastly remain at the camp, but the sight of the Floating Island had stimulated her mind to a point where the decision clicked into place.

In this frantic state, Amy didn't take the time to grab their belongings; she simply marked the camp's location in her mind in order to retrieve them later. She only grabbed her knapsack and the map and soon set off running, along the edge of the forest, towards the southern end of the field.

It felt good to run. Amy was still scared, but at least she was focused. Having seen the Floating Island had produced fear but had also cleared her mind and determined a precise goal, and she was thus liberated from the uncertainty and lingering of the past two days.

Still running along the edge of the trees, Amy sped up a small hill in her path. In her hurry, she failed to appreciate what was behind it, for its altitude blocked her view. As she reached the top, she realized too late the presence of a pond located in a slight depression in the landscape, one of whose sides was determined by a very sharp slope from the top of the butte. 

Amy couldn't avoid falling off its edge. As fell head first, in her nosedive she stumbled repeatedly upon the side of the hill, gathering much dirt in the process, but at least easing her contact with the water. Mere seconds later, she emerged from the surface, wondering what had happened, for she had not anticipated at all the presence of this lake.

Fully soaked, dazed from the shock, and out of breath, Amy nevertheless proceeded to swim towards the bank. Since the lake was but a pond, she set off for the other side thereof, in order to keep forward in her flight. However, she had more trouble than expected, and the presence of her loaded knapsack only served to amplify her exhaustion. As she reached the bank, she almost collapsed. She finally decided to sit down for a few moments to catch her breath.

She was soon alarmed as she noticed two unknown figures walking towards alongside the pond. She faced them but didn't stand up, knowing there was no point in running at this stage. They didn't look menacing: as soon as they saw Amy's prudence, they stopped walking, as if trying not to frighten her. Most prominent was a tall and slender black wolf carrying an old tool kit, with next to him a blue hedgehog who reminded Amy of Sonic, except this one was much shorter and bore very dark quills. He also noticeably missed a left eye.

The two creatures benevolently made a few tentative steps towards Amy, who was fixed on them with an acute awareness. She stayed seated, however, and was not frightened by the strangers.

"Hi," said the wolf. "Uh… We saw you falling down that hill into the pond. Are you okay?"

Amy said nothing, but was surprised to hear her interlocutor speak her language so easily with little to no accent. Still soaked, she shivered a bit under the wind.

"So, uh…" The wolf didn't know exactly what to say. "Are you new around here?"

Amy almost grinned at such a silly question, but remained on the defensive. She nodded.

The wolf looked at his friend, then turned back to Amy. "Okay, well, my name's Phil. And uh, this is my friend Joey," he said pointing to the blue hedgehog.

"Hi," said Joey softly.

"What's your name?" asked Phil.

"I'm Amy Rose," she finally answered.

The conversation felt a bit odd, but Phil nodded, seemingly trying to keep it natural. "Well. Nice to meet you, anyway. Do you need any help?"

Indeed, Amy was a real mess. Her clothes were very humid and full of dirt. She shook her head, however. At this point she was much more concerned with knowing who those two creatures were and hopefully getting rid of them.

"Are you two… uh… Ambrosians?"

Phil smiled awkwardly. "Hm, I guess you could say that."

"Yeah," added Joey laconically.

"We're working on our water supply. It feeds off this pond right here," explained Phil.

"Have you…" Amy didn't finish her question. She wanted to ask them if they had seen Sonic, but thought it might be a blunder that could lead to an even thornier exchange. After all, they were supposed to be hostile to Sonic. "Thanks for your concern. I'm fine, but I should probably go."

Phil nodded again. "If you must."

"It was nice to meet you two," Amy said. "Maybe I'll see you again."

"Goodbye, Amy Rose."

Grabbing her knapsack, Amy got on her feet and walked away, continuing her search for Tails' site. Once out of the sight of her two new acquaintances, she pulled out the map again and, realizing Tails logically opted for a proximity to a source of water, concluded she couldn't be too far off.


	8. A Moment with a Peer

**A Moment with a Peer**

----

As the cold evening progressed, Amy for once delighted at satisfying the cries of her stomach by helping herself to a well-deserved dinner, courtesy of Tails. She was at his camp, having found it late in the afternoon after a careful search in the area marked on her map of Borealis. She had initially found it empty; she worried during her wait that Tails was in trouble as well, so his return early in the evening had represented quite a relief.

As he came in, Tails had looked somber, dirty, and what was more, utterly exhausted. It was like watching her peer come back from a rough and frustrating day at school, with a few bruises to show for it. Seeing a friendly face had pleased Tails as much as it had Amy: he beamed at the pleasant surprise and his furry body embraced that of the pink hedgehog.

With the help of Tails' portable stove, they had treated themselves to a frugal yet satisfying dinner, thanks to the fox's decision to offer his last can of tasty sardines. The two creatures talked and laughed, relieved to find a bit of peace in friendship despite the context of such a hostile environment. After having cleaned up they quickly retired inside Tails' tent. It was rather small since it could normally host one person, but the two friends were not uncomfortable. As they lied down on their backs to anticipate their rest, Amy got the chance to ask the question that had been dominating her mind for the past two days.

"Tails, do you know what happened to Sonic? Why has he disappeared?"

Tails groaned gently. "Boy… It's a bummer."

"What happened? Did you see him? Did you talk to him?" Amy's eyes were full with concern.

"Yeah," said Tails, "I saw him. I didn't talk to him, though. But I saw him… he was in trouble."

Amy stopped breathing as she heard Tails. "W-What happened? Tell me, Tails!!"

"He was captured," he said simply. "I'm sorry, Amy."

Though Amy was seriously unsettled by this unhappy outcome, she was slightly relieved because it meant that Sonic was still alive. "How did it happen? Who captured him?"

"It was El. Sonic told you about him, right?"

Amy remembered. El was supposedly the leader of the Ambrosians and Sonic's enemy in this mission. "Yeah, he mentioned it."

"Okay, well, uh, two nights ago I saw him and he was carrying Sonic who was unconscious. I attacked him but he beat me up… I had to fly away, or else…"

"Do you know what happened to Sonic after that?"

"Yes… There's a prison somewhere below the base. He was carrying Sonic in that direction, so I guess that's where Sonic is now," Tails said with resignation. "El's really strong and agile, and he's on his own turf. Sonic was taken by surprise."

Amy remembered wanting to dissuade Sonic from rushing into the base, but it didn't comfort her to know she had been right. Not wanting to discourage her friend, she said: "Well, at least you're holding your own against him."

"Yeah," said Tails, trying to hold back his pride. "I can try to anticipate his tactic. Also, he can't fly like me."

Amy gave Tails a soft playful punch in the shoulder. "That's right. So, we'll be able to rescue Sonic."

Tails said nothing. He didn't look so hopeful.

"Come on!" said Amy. "You can do it. It sounds like you can handle this guy."

Tails gave a small smile. "If you say so," he answered, although he looked a little strange.

"Okay," Amy acquiesced with satisfaction. "So," she continued, trying to renew the conversation, "what else happened these past few days?"

"I uh… You know, I've just been… scouting, looking around…"

For some reason, Tails was reluctant to go into further details. Amy had noticed how he had avoided mentioning anything that happened to him since his arrival in Borealis unless she pressed him. Amy usually liked harassing people with questions, but she also knew she was supposed to integrate within the duo as much as possible, and for that she needed to avoid being an annoyance. After all, Tails was a skilled fighter and knew what he was doing, so he must have good reasons for not dwelling on the subject.

The result was a light silence between the two friends. There wasn't anything awkward about it, for in Amy's mind she was with a real friend, her pen pal, not those hypocrites she had to deal with all of these years.

"Amy?"

"Yes?"

"Uh… In your letters… You never told me what it was like."

"What was what like?"

"You know, life at the boardinghouse." If Tails had been reading Amy's thoughts, he hid it well, but perhaps that instant of silence had simply been experienced by him the same way: a shared moment with his pen pal. "What was it like?" he repeated.

Amy sighed. Ever since she had left her home to go to Ambrosia two months ago, she considered it a thing of the past. As far as she was concerned, life at the boardinghouse had mostly consisted of praying for graduation day.

"Kind of boring, to tell you the truth."

"But, did you have any friends?" asked Tails.

"No… Not really."

Amy was reluctant to say more. She could not easily explain why, but she knew it was hard to reflect on the past six years.

"So, what should we do tomorrow?" she asked, partly to get off topic, but also because she still wanted to pull her own weight into this mission.

"Uh…"

"Maybe tomorrow morning, we can go pick up our stuff. You know, Sonic had me set up the tent and the supplies when we reached that field. Maybe we should bring it back here."

Tails was not convinced. "I don't know… I want to go back to Borealis tomorrow," he said. "You know, to help Sonic," he added quickly.

Of course, he had uttered the magic word. "Right right. He's more important," she agreed. Then she offered her services. "Should I go with you? I'd really like to help."

"Uh… I don't know if it's a good idea," Tails replied adamantly.

"Why not? I can fight you know… I've been practicing these past years. They didn't want me to, but at night I snuck out to the gym."

Tails smiled gently and turned his head sideways to see Amy. "Did you get in trouble?"

"Yeah. Often. But that was just a part of it." She closed her eyes for a second, trying to banish these thoughts from her mind. "So," she said finally, "can I come?"

Tails lied again on his back. "I don't know. It's pretty rough. Well, you can come, but we'll separate. El and I are tracking each other down, so it should allow you to check out the base without too much trouble."

"What about Sonic? Maybe I could try to help him while you hold off El."

"Not tomorrow… Maybe the next day. That base is kind of a maze, so you should take tomorrow to check it out first."

Amy was a bit dissatisfied due to her confidence in her abilities, but didn't object. At least she could start being useful. She trusted Tails to tell her the best thing to do, anyway. It was her chance and she needed to grab it before it was too late.

At this thought she suddenly remembered the threat that hung over her.

"Tails… Earlier today… I saw in the sky… Uh…" She had trouble saying it, for it only served to substantiate the menace she felt.

"What… Is the Floating Island here already?" Tails asked, turning to Amy.

She nodded simply, cringing at Tails' enunciation thereof.

"When did you see it?"

"This morning," she replied. "Do you know… When do you think they'll be here?"

"Not tomorrow, it's too soon," Tails said, turning away. "I think we'll see them coming. It should be okay. We should just talk to Knuckles. I don't really care about those guys, anyway, we have other things to do."

"Okay," said Amy in a small voice. It hurt to talk about this, so Amy kept quiet. She had tomorrow and the probably next day to do what she could in Borealis, and then… she didn't know what would happen after that.

However, these two days' respite from immediate danger spelled out Amy's target. She had a reprieve during which she could do her best to provide her assistance. Her goal for tomorrow was thus set: she would visit Borealis as exhaustively as she could, with the intent of helping out the next day. While she considered her situation still as precarious as ever, at least – at the very least, she now had hope.


	9. A Guide Most Unexpected

**A Guide Most Unexpected**

----

Amy ran quietly across the five-mile-wide plain under the cold morning sun. Tails had preceded her of approximately a half-hour, hoping to engage El in order to give Amy a free hand in her investigation. Amy didn't object, for it sounded reasonable, and she trusted Tails' judgment: not only was he a skilled fighter, but he also had a few days' experience of scouting this area and resisting the hostility of its inhabitants.

Once again, the base known as Borealis looked deserted from a distance, marked with the same shallow fog that expressed the existence of a wasteland. There were no trees here, just a grassy plain with metal structures having mushroomed in the middle of it.

This impression was simply confirmed once Amy reached Borealis. It was indeed a maze – the metal buildings seemed loosely placed; the planning of the base showed little organization. It seemed Eggman had built these annexes in a hurry. At least they were spread out, which eased Amy's path therein.

The buildings were just as they looked from a distance – not much more than three or four stories high (judging from the outside), rectangular, and certainly not made for habitation. There were also some more idiosyncratic structures that seemed to serve little purpose. Amy noticed an exception to this when she spotted a complex of large and impressive wind traps, which actually seemed to be in working order. They emitted an annoying buzz that waxed and waned with the inflexions of the speed of the wind. Indeed, they seemed to generate power, so Amy concluded the base must have at least a few parts in working order thanks to this source of energy.

"Hey – you!" shouted an unfamiliar voice all of a sudden. Amy flung around very quickly. At a distance from her stood a tall she-wolf with an unfriendly expression.

"Whoa, calm down, I'm not doing anything wrong," Amy said, taking a few tentative steps towards her challenger.

"Don't come any closer!" said the she-wolf. She immediately grabbed a small firearm attached to her belt, which Amy hadn't noticed, and pointed it at Amy. "I'm warning you…"

Amy stopped dead in her tracks when she saw this weapon brandished at her. She put her hands in the air to show she wasn't armed. "It's – it's okay, I don't mean any harm," Amy said quickly, trying to calm this woman down.

"We've had enough of you meddlers lurking around here…" she uttered aggressively, still pointing her weapon at Amy.

Amy thought this creature was probably an Ambrosian but was again surprised to hear her speak the same language with very little accent. Amy was extremely tense: one minute she had been freely visiting the grounds of that base, and the next a feisty-looking and sounding woman was holding her at gunpoint.

"Hold on, hold on," said Amy quickly, trying to defuse the situation. "Um… I uh, I'm harmless. I'm not…"

"Explain yourself!"

"Look, I'm friends with, uh…" Amy tried to remember the names of the two guys she had met the previous day by the pond.

"Don't try to swindle me," the she-wolf warned. "Anyway, El will decide of your fate."

"No wait, I'm friends with – I'm friends with Phil and Joey." Amy was not keen on being brought to the fearsome Ambrosian leader: this had the effect of restoring her memory of yesterday's encounter.

It seemed to work, because her opponent relented. "Can they confirm that?" she asked.

"Yes," Amy said firmly.

"All right. Follow me."

Amy didn't actually follow per se – the she-wolf had her step in front in order to control her as much as possible. They entered an impressively large rectangular warehouse through a dilapidated door. Once inside, Amy noticed it was even worse then expected. This building was practically empty, save for a few large sealed crates spread randomly across the floor. The ceiling was very high, reminding Amy of her school gym, although there seemed to be a top floor just below the roof.

After walking in silence for a few minutes, the she-wolf showed Amy an old and rusty metal ladder fixed vertically near the wall and ordered her to climb it at once. Still wearing her usual flared orange skirt, Amy might have felt slightly self-conscious about mounting a ladder with someone straight below her, but she didn't object: after all, her opponent was the one holding the firearm, not her. Above her Amy could notice a round opening in the ceiling that allowed the ladder and the person mounting it to the top floor.

They reached a stairhead that opened up to a large empty space just below the flat roof of the building. Like on the ground floor, there weren't any partitioned rooms at all: it was just a mostly empty floor, with many windows (though deprived of their panes), similar to the rest of the structures that made up this area. There was no furniture save for a few tables in a far corner, on which were mounted a set of several television screens.

Amy could make out the figures of Joey and Phil near that corner. They were lazily studying a large drawing, which Amy guessed was of their water supply system since they were working on it yesterday.

When they saw the odd duo approach, they smiled, Phil especially. Indeed, he came up to the she-wolf and they exchanged a short but meaningful kiss. Amy understood they were an item.

"Um, guys," said the she-wolf, turning back to seriousness, "I found this girl lurking around the wind traps. She says she knows you two…"

"It's okay, Claire," said Phil. "She's telling the truth, we ran into her yesterday."

"Hi, Phil," said Amy. "Hi, Joey."

"So, today you're not playing in the pool," Phil cracked. Claire looked at him questioningly, so Phil explained what had happened yesterday. "It was so funny," he laughed afterwards, "we were just chilling and all of a sudden we hear this huge splash. Meet Amy Rose."

Joey laughed a bit as well, although he was much more discreet.

Normally, Amy would have whacked the living daylights out of these obnoxious youths for their impertinence, but perhaps it was not the time to do so. She just crossed her arms and showed a mildly vexed expression (on principle).

"Anyway, how are you doing today?" asked Phil.

It all seemed a bit surreal. These guys were simply not concerned that she might be a hostile and it felt really weird speaking to them in such cordial terms while she knew Sonic was currently trapped in their prison somewhere.

Clearly, Claire was thinking something along those lines. "I don't trust this girl…" she said softly. "I'm convinced she was sabotaging our energy system… You should search her, at least." She was almost whispering, but Amy could hear her very well.

"Hey – I was just looking around. Really!" Amy said to defend herself.

Claire looked at her with the same suspicious expression. "What have you got on you?" she inquired harshly.

Amy was on the defensive. She was used to being strip-searched by the school administrators and security, and she hated it. She found it most humiliating: indeed they had been stripping her of her dignity.

Thankfully, Joey intervened. "Claire, I think Amy is okay."

At that, Claire relented. "Whatever," she sighed.

After that, Claire and Phil started chatting amorously between themselves, while Joey turned to the monitors. Amy looked at the TVs, which showed various strategic spots around Borealis. There were just a half-dozen of them, much too little to provide exhaustive security to the base, but she admired their existence, for it was surprising to find this equipment in working order and the energy that it required in such a remote area.

Finally, the couple left for some reason, not before wishing Amy a good day (while Claire remained somewhat suspicious, she let her guard down a little). Amy was just left with Joey.

"I didn't know you had all this equipment," said Amy after awhile.

"We repaired it recently. There was trouble last year, so we thought this system could be useful," he said, looking at the monitors again, although they didn't show any activity. "So, do you like it here?" he asked awkwardly.

Amy looked a bit embarrassed. Indeed, Borealis wasn't exactly a place where she would choose to go on vacation. "Uh… Yeah… Well, it's kind of unexpected. People don't seem to know about this place. You're like, way beyond the frontier."

"Yes," said Joey neutrally.

Amy couldn't suppress a short laugh. This guy sounded so laconic. "Anyway, thanks for your support. You know, with Claire," she said, to be fair, at which Joey smiled modestly. "I really hate being searched. I've had enough of it. Anyway, I just came today to check out this place."

"Did you get a chance to see most of it?"

"Not really," she admitted. "I saw your wind traps, which looked kind of cool. I guess that's where you get your energy for this room."

"Yeah," said Joey. "Not just this room. A few other places here as well." After an instant, he asked: "do you want to see the rest of this place?"

"Um… I mean, of course, yeah."

"I can show you, if you like. If you want to."

Amy smiled. Although it was weird to befriend the Ambrosians like this, there was perhaps a chance to realize what she came for today. She still had this set goal of visiting Borealis as fully as she could, and this was an unexpected opportunity. "Sure, I mean, if you don't mind. I don't mean to interrupt your work or anything."

"It's ok. I don't have really anything to do today. Anyway, Phil has gone with Claire to uh… you know. Do what they do when they're alone."

Amy laughed. "Sure, yeah," she giggled. "I get your drift. Anyway, I'll be glad to have you show me this place. It's really intriguing."

And thus Amy grabbed her chance to achieve familiarity with Borealis. She and Joey walked around inside the various buildings, and despite his taciturn demeanor, Joey made a few comments regarding each of them, describing briefly their original purpose as intended by Dr. Eggman.

"Wow… this place is really huge," Amy commented. "So basically, Eggman built all of this, right?"

"Yes," said Joey. "It was about 30 years ago. He noticed this gigantic clearing and thought it could be useful to store some of his resources and weapons."

"So… he wasn't the one who tore down the trees? It was already there?"

Joey nodded.

"But how come… This clearing… It doesn't look natural. From above it must look like a huge oval. It looks like it's man-made," Amy analyzed.

"Well, it is," said Joey. "But it wasn't Eggman. It's much older."

"I see, the Ambrosians built it – I mean, they took down that part of the forest to settle here…" Amy guessed.

"No, the Ambrosians just lived in the forest. What happened was two hundred years ago a bunch of different countries carpet-bombed this part of the forest, where the Ambrosians lived. They did it thoroughly and determined this oval-shaped perimeter to encompass all of the living area. When they left, it was a wasteland and the trees haven't grown back. That's why there's this plain in the middle of the forest."

Joey didn't sound particularly bitter, but Amy felt uncomfortable. She was disgusted, of course, at this sad episode of Mobian history, but she also felt guilty in front of Joey since she thought of herself a member of the society that had waged a genocidal war against Ambrosia.

"Right," she said, "I… I had heard about that. I'm sorry to say they don't teach it in school… At least I don't remember it being taught in school." (Of course, Amy knew pertinently she had never listened to history class.) "I mean, it's horrible. I can't imagine what it could have been like…"

Joey looked at her harmlessly. "It's not your fault. It was a long time ago," he concluded. "I'm glad at least someone remembers us."

Amy was still embarrassed. "I hope our society will make amends someday."

Joey didn't say anything, but Amy could see he didn't express hope for it.

The "tour" lasted a good while, for there was much surface to investigate. However, it was basically more of the same. Amy wanted to inquire about the prison, for she would need that information the next day to come to Sonic's aid, but she chose to keep quiet, in order to mask her collusion with those identified as enemies of Ambrosia.

As Joey showed her the base, Amy did feel a bit of compassion for him and his peers. It was a rather dull, depressing environment, to a point where Amy felt she was in a ghost town, without even the knowledge that a population had once thrived here. Eggman had built this place many decades after its apocalypse anyway.

After awhile, Joey appeared to have guessed Amy's sentiment. He therefore suggested: "I know this place feels like a graveyard, but there's something you might want to see."

Joey led Amy to a small downward staircase that led to a floor just below the ground. It opened to a very large room full of light, for its ceiling was a thick glass that allowed the sunlight to bless it. As for the room, it was filled with crops of various kinds. Amy was entranced by this particular place. The green color of the plants gave it a distinct vitality.

"Wow, this is like… a huge greenhouse!" which indeed it was. "Do you grow all of this?"

"Yes," said Joey, genuinely smiling for the first time as he contemplated his crops. "That's what I mostly do here. Most of those are vegetables, lettuce et cetera, which provides food for this place. I also grow a bit of marijuana."

Amy chuckled. "For yourself?" she asked inquisitively.

"Not really. It's traded with some people from the coast," he explained. "Anyway, that's why Phil and I are working on that water supply system. There's a long pipe, like a pipe-line for water, that we need to maintain to keep this going."

"Wow, this is really cool," said Amy, expressing again her admiration.

"Thanks. It's my life's work," said Joey.

They actually stayed a bit near the greenhouse, more precisely to its adjacent basement, where the harvest was stored. There Joey was able to satisfy their respective hungers, for which Amy felt grateful.

Joey also treated Amy to a better view of the base by taking her to the roofs of several buildings. They weren't very high, however, and didn't offer a global view of the area. Still, Amy was interested. Hanging out of the roof was relatively easy, due to their flatness, if one knew where to locate the appropriate stairs and ladders. Amy tried to inscribe that information in her memory, for it might prove useful.

As the two hedgehogs watched the scenery, Amy couldn't avoid glimpsing at the forest in the distance. Far north of the field, still over the trees, the Floating Island was ominously looming in the sky. It was still at a distance from Borealis, though. Joey saw it too, but his face remained expressionless at its sight. Amy guessed he had probably noticed it on a previous day.

"Do you think it will it get any closer?" Amy asked.

"Just a bit, but it will bypass the field," Joey replied.

Amy said nothing. She understood its host was either on the ground already or was getting ready to do so. She shivered at this thought.

"There's someone over there that has got it in for me," she said softly to herself, as if Joey wasn't there.

Joey looked at her. "Someone wishes to harm you?"

"Yes," she said simply. "He's bound to be here later on."

Joey looked again at the Island, then back at Amy and could see she was not at ease. After a moment, he informed her: "I stay at this cabin in the forest. It's directly north of the base, just past the edge of the trees."

Amy looked at him, unsure of his intention.

"If you ever are in trouble," he continued, "you can come hang out there. It's not the most comfortable place, but it's safe."

Amy smiled weakly. "Okay," she said. "I'll remember that."

Despite her lowered interest in what Joey showed her, Amy stuck to her guide all afternoon in the hope that she would learn about the prison of Borealis, for she would need that information the next day. It never came up though, and late in the day Joey and Amy had to part.

As she ran to rejoin Tails' camp, Amy was satisfied. She had achieved what her friend had assigned to her with little effort and had done it beyond her expectations, even if she failed to gain knowledge of Sonic's fate. However, with the help of Tails' input, especially concerning the location of the prison, she knew she was in a position to achieve something decisive the next day. She also reveled in the thought that she would see her beloved again – she missed Sonic and was worried about him, and she knew his sight would warm her heart. And if she could help him, even possibly break him out, she would finally ensure her survival. She could be Sonic's friend again, she could secure his affection… and his protection from the looming menace unmistakably approaching the battlefield.


	10. Embolden Me

**Embolden Me**

----

For the second time, Amy was making her way towards the enormous complex known as Borealis. It was the next morning from her tour of the base, although it was already close to the middle of the day. Like yesterday, the two furry friends had devised a strategy wherein Tails would invest the base much earlier in to order to engage El and allow Amy as much leeway as possible in order to meet up with Sonic. In addition to providing information on the prison's location, Tails had also let her know where the surveillance cameras were located, which Amy tried to match with the images she saw on the monitors the previous day. Thanks to these indications, she was able to move forward with little risk of being spotted.

Unfortunately, Tails had not really expressed hope in Amy's hypothetical success in breaking Sonic out of his cage. Tails' interest was mostly in retrieving Sonic's instructions and providing him with some food and water, but his freedom would have to wait for a more tangible opportunity, possibly linked to an eventual defeat of El or some assistance from Knuckles and his gang.

Of course, Amy was disappointed with that strategy. She vocally agreed, but she also would personally do her best to free her beloved on her own. In any case, her mind was so set on merely seeing Sonic again that she didn't plan accordingly: once at the prison, she thought could then devise a way to crack the doors and walls holding him prisoner.

It took a little while for Amy to reach her destination. She had to move carefully, verifying at each turn whether someone was nearby. The prison was rather deep within the building complex, and Amy had to penetrate one of those buildings to access the passage that led to it. After crossing the appropriate door that Tails had described, she descended a short and gloomy staircase before finding herself underground, though just below level ground. Once at the foot of the stairs, she could make out despite the lack of sunlight a large room filled with prison cells all symmetrically aligned around an alley. The place was dank and murky, and the only light radiating it came from a few barred basement windows. As she walked slowly between the different cells, Amy tried to imagine how strenuous it could be to be indefinitely held here.

"Who's there?" called a voice Amy instantly recognized.

"Sonic! Where are you?" She looked around at the different cells, quickly finding the one holding Sonic prisoner.

She saw him; he was holding the bars of his cell, seeing her with a surprised look on his face. "Amy? What are you doing here? How…"

"Sonic," Amy repeated, rushing to meet him. "How are you?"

"How did you get in here? Where's Tails?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"I just walked in," she said cheekily. "Are you okay? How are you holding up?"

"I've had better days," he reluctantly answered. "How did you find this place?"

Amy's elation at finding her darling was soon mixed with sorrow and worry. Sonic looked haggard, dirty, exhausted, and depressed. The cell holding him prisoner was rather large, as large as all of the others, but it was also gloomy and somber. He was still holding the bars, so Amy placed her hands on his and slid them protectively on his arms. She so wanted to hold him, to comfort him and tell him it was going to be all right.

Sonic shyly retreated his arms from Amy's loose grip. "I'm… I'm surprised to find you here," he whispered. "How did you manage to come here?"

"It wasn't too hard," she said smugly. "Tails told me where the prison was. Don't worry, I was careful, no one saw me coming here. I managed to avoid the surveillance cameras, too."

"Okay," said Sonic.

After a brief silence, Amy took her knapsack and opened it. "Check it out… I made you some sandwiches," she explained, "if you're hungry."

"Yes," said Sonic quickly and anxiously. "I haven't eaten in two days…"

Amy handed him the food and water. "I made those just for you," she told him sweetly. Sonic didn't pay attention though, because he was focusing on satisfying his hunger. Indeed he swallowed the food very quickly. Amy watched him with pity. He had really been starving.

After he was done eating, Sonic asked: "so… how are things? Have you met up with Tails?"

"Yes. After two days I thought you had run into trouble so I tried to find Tails using that map. You know, the one where you had marked the spot where he was supposed to set up…"

"Yeah," Sonic acquiesced.

"He said he saw when you were captured… El was carrying you to this place. He tried to save you, but he said El beat him up… Speaking of which… How exactly _did_ you get captured?"

Sonic looked at his feet with shame. "I underestimated him. He just ambushed me. I thought I could get the Ambrosian Files right there and then, when he was busy…"

Amy nodded. "I see… I didn't want you to go there immediately," she reminded him, although she tried to hide any hint of reprobation.

"Yes," he said frustratingly. "You were right… I just rushed into it. I was following my instinct, but this time I was wrong. But I thought Tails would… uh…"

Sonic sounded serious, so Amy listened to him with increased attention.

"About Tails – there's something you should… uh…"

Sonic seemed unsure about clarifying his concern. "What's up?" asked Amy, pressing him.

Sonic shook his head. "It's nothing. I don't really know what I'm talking about. I'm just making assumptions. It's not important, anyway."

Amy nodded. Sonic obviously wanted to drop this topic, so Amy followed up with some small-talk about how she and Tails were settled in the forest, about what she thought of Borealis, etc. Sonic was sullenly listening, occasionally nodding and interjecting with "okay" or "yeah," but retained his miserable appearance, although his apparent vulnerability made him somewhat more attractive in Amy's eyes.

Sonic's interest was visibly renewed when Amy let him know she had first seen the Floating Island in the sky two days before.

"Was it far? Is Knuckles here already?" he asked promptly.

"No, he's not…" Amy's cheerfulness waned with this topic. "Tails thinks they'll be here soon, maybe tomorrow. They probably landed already," she said with apprehension. "Judging from its course, the Floating Island should bypass the field," she revealed, taking credit for Joey's analysis the day before. "So I guess they landed yesterday or today and plan on ending this within a week or two."

"That sounds about right," Sonic conceded (Amy hoped he was impressed with her deductions). "If I get out of here, I should probably try to find Knuckles and talk to him…"

Amy wasn't keen on that plan. She viewed the Islanders as her enemies because of the dreaded Slug; besides, from what Sonic had told her earlier, they were his rivals for the acquisition of the Ambrosian Files. "Are you sure it's a good idea?" she asked.

"I don't know," Sonic replied. "I'm not sure. Probably not – I haven't seen Knux in at least a year, and whenever we meet for the first time in a while, we usually fight… Especially if there's something at stake… We can't really help it. I just think he's this stuck-up nut, and it's so much fun to make fun of him. He's really touchy and susceptible." For the first time, Sonic expressed the beginnings of an amused smile.

Amy grinned. "Right. And he probably thinks you're an arrogant jerk."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," he admitted. "But in any event, I need to break out of here first."

Amy stepped back to consider that cell door. "I was hoping I could break you out right now," she said. She tried shaking the bars to identify their strength. "These seem really hard, I don't know what we should do." She looked around for something handy. There were no tools available, but she thought she could use the muscles in her arms to shatter the lock, if she could find some stones to knock it.

"Amy, don't worry about it," said Sonic after awhile. "It's no use. I've tried myself everything I could."

Amy didn't want to admit defeat. "There's gotta be something I can do."

But her wish was in vain. After a moment she conceded her failure to succeed in the immediate.

"Well, I'd like to help you in any way I could," she told Sonic. "Not just bring you food and stuff, but you know… with the Ambrosian Files…" Amy said this matter-of-factly, but this was something very important to her. Again, she absolutely needed to be a part of Sonic's team as much as she could, in order to impress him and reunite with him, but also because she needed his support for the time she might have to face Slug.

Sonic wasn't particularly receptive to her suggestion, though. "I don't know… It's kind of dangerous."

Amy didn't share his pessimism. "Hey, I'm stronger than you think. Wanna feel my muscles?" she asked, flexing her arm and moving it through the bars, hoping Sonic would touch it (any physical contact was precious).

"It's okay," he said with a hint of embarrassment. "Really, I think you… Well, I – I just don't want you getting hurt."

"Oh Sonic!" she scoffed, although she secretly reveled in Sonic's concern (her conscience told her Sonic was just trying to get rid of her, but she ignored it). "Drop the knight in shining armor mantle! I can totally help you out. I wasn't totally lying fallow these past six years, you know. I've been practicing. Actually, I often got in fights with the other girls, and I almost always managed to beat them up."

Sonic couldn't hold back a grin, but he said with a gentle reprove, "Amy, it's not that cool to beat up your friends."

Amy's excitement dwindled at that. "They weren't my friends," she said sadly. "Look who's talking!" she exclaimed suddenly. "You just said you fight Knux every chance you get!"

"Right," acknowledged Sonic, amused. "Well, I was exaggerating. Okay, you win, but don't tell me later I didn't warn you."

"Go team! Now, tell me what I should do."

Sonic thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know… The most important is probably to watch over our stuff. You know, wherever you set it up."

Amy was slightly disappointed. She really wished for a more important responsibility than babysitting a bunch of supplies. "Sonic, I'd like do to some more… What do you need to find the Ambrosian Files?"

"Uh… Well, I can't really ask you to fight El. Really, he's a formidable opponent. Only I can…"

Amy grinned. She recognized Sonic's pride take the better of him, as usual. Obviously, he felt his capture had been a humiliation.

"Isn't there anything I could do to bust you out of here?"

"I don't know. These bars are pretty strong. Only Tails, with his knowledge of explosives…"

"Maybe he can teach me?" Amy suggested.

"You can't really learn that stuff overnight. There's the risk of a too powerful explosion… Only Tails knows exactly how to do it…"

Amy grinned: of course she didn't wish to blow Sonic to pieces. Again, she noticed his discomfort at admitting his vulnerability… She helplessly tried to pull the bars. She so wanted to open that cell door, so she could hold him and protect him.

She then pressed Sonic again to accept her help, emphasizing his goal in retrieving the Ambrosian Files.

Sonic finally relented, probably to get Amy off his case. "I know they're in some kind of chamber… below this base. I found it before getting – before getting captured," he said reluctantly. "Anyway, you need a key to open it."

"A key," Amy repeated. "You want me to try and find it?"

"It's a long shot... I don't know where it is. Probably at some unlikely place. Just keep your eyes open."

Though the instruction was vague, Amy was satisfied. "I'll do my best, Sonic," she said firmly.

"Okay," he said. "You better go, Amy. If El finds you here, you'll be in trouble."

Amy watched her crush with sorrow. She could not stand seeing him desolately trapped in this prison. "How will you get out of here? We still haven't figured out how we can do that…"

"It'll be okay. Tails will bust me out, or I'll find a way on my own."

Amy nodded. "Okay. I'll try to plan it out with him. Maybe I could hold off that guy so Tails can come here."

"Be very careful," Sonic warned. "I mean it, El is a great warrior."

Again, Amy appreciated Sonic's concern, although she suspected his ego would take a good hit were she to hold off El on her own where he had failed miserably.

"I mean it, you should go," Sonic reiterated.

"Okay," she said sadly. They were rather close to one another, with only the bars separating them. Entranced by her role as his savior, Amy gently grabbed Sonic's hands and meaningfully kissed them. Normally, Sonic would have objected, but he just looked dejected. Amy had subconsciously bet he would be too depressed to run away like he usually did and had taken advantage of that.

"I'll be back, Sonic," she said. "We'll get you out of this." With that, she finally ran off.

Adopting the same path she had used to come to the prison, Amy carefully made her way out of Borealis by avoiding the various surveillance cameras. She was soon on her way back to the pond and to Tails' camp. As she got closer and closer to the forest, she eased her concentration and was able to reflect upon her meeting with Sonic.

Her initial state of mind bordered on ecstasy. She felt much closer to achieving a true emotional reunion with her favorite hedgehog, which had been her intent all along ever since she began her trip to Ambrosia. She romanticized beyond reason today's encounter with Sonic, incarnating herself as his guardian angel, providing him with material and emotional support for both the humiliation he was experiencing and the trial he was facing. She felt he had responded in kind, swallowing gratefully the food and water she had bestowed to him, and offering her a substantial participation in his endeavor, a participation she felt she rightfully deserved. If she could follow up on his commands, she would be on her way to earning at least his respect and admiration, and perhaps something more.

However, when Amy tried analyzing the situation more rationally, she realized things were more complicated than expected. She had not succeeded in freeing Sonic, retrieving the Ambrosian Files remained a delicate enterprise, but most of all the arrival of the Floating Island's forces was all but due. They would soon occupy the field, and she would have to face the presence of her archenemy, Slug.

As she reached Tails' camp (Tails had not come back from Borealis yet), Amy pondered her next move by thinking about what was most immediate, important, and within her reach. It was still the afternoon, so there was plenty of time to do something useful today. She knew Sonic had asked her to watch over the supplies at her camp, so the best thing to do remained what she had previously suggested: to fetch all of Sonic's belongings where she had settled on the first day and bring them to Tails' camp.

Tails wasn't back yet, and if she wanted to achieve her plan by the end of the day, she needed to act now. Needing her friend's help in order to avoid making two trips, she wrote a note bidding him to join her at her camp as soon as possible, and placed it ostensibly in the middle of his tent. In the meantime, she would precede Tails to her camp and start packing up all of their belongings. Tails would join her sooner or later in order to carry the supplies back to his place.

Grabbing her knapsack, Amy confidently ran off towards her destination.


	11. Prime of Terror

**Prime of Terror**

----

As the day drew to a close, Amy was almost done packing the various supplies she had laid out on the day of her arrival. She had found her camp in the exact same state as when she had left it two days ago and praised herself for having selected what she thought was a well-hidden location for it. She still needed to break down her tent and put it away. Unfortunately, Tails had not arrived to help her yet. Amy wasn't keen on dismantling her tent right away – were Tails not to show up at all, she would probably need to spend the night here. She stepped inside in order to wait for him.

Looking for something to do in the meantime, Amy looked in her knapsack. She first took out Sonic's map and tried to recall the places she had seen in the past few days, especially within Borealis itself. Then, pushing the map aside, she took out her diary in order to recount her adventures, especially with regards to the way she perceived the progress of her rapport with Sonic.

What started out as a small entry not intended to exceed a few paragraphs quickly developed into a full-blown essay. Amy unleashed without hesitation the full description of her feelings for Sonic and the role she had assigned herself with respect to his current ordeal. She soon lost track of time, lost in her thoughts.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

She woke up with a start a few hours later as she realized she had been irresponsibly dozing off. It was nighttime already, Amy guessed since a few hours, and Tails still hadn't shown up. Stepping outside, Amy shivered under the cold air of the night. There was very little sound and light.

That is, until Amy heard the sounds of someone approaching. Or rather, a whole group of people was coming this way. They probably tried not to sound too conspicuous, but the night was so silent otherwise that Amy easily heard them moving between the trees.

Her mind immediately sounded the alarm. She didn't know who these people were, but she knew she would rather not be found out. Her diary still in her hand, she quickly grabbed her knapsack, not bothering to check whether she had forgotten anything (there was no time to do so), and darted out of the small clearing where the camp was located.

A few seconds later, she hid behind a huge tree, completely immobile. The footsteps became louder and Amy understood they had reached the clearing and must have noticed her camp. Indeed, they secured it without further ado. It was not long before Amy started hearing their voices.

"… good find, kid," said a gruff voice. "This stuff probably belongs to Sonic the Hedgehog. You said you saw someone come this way earlier this afternoon?"

"Yeah," said a higher-pitched pre-pubertal voice. "I don't think it was Sonic, I'm not sure who it was, maybe another hedgehog, I was too far--"

"All right boys!!" interrupted the first voice. "Is there anyone in that tent??"

Hearing this conversation Amy realized she must have been spotted around here this afternoon by this young scout.

"No one's in the tent, Captain," said someone else. "This place seems abandoned."

"Abandoned eh…" said the first authoritarian voice, which Amy understood belonged to the 'Captain.' "Sonic will be sorry that he did. Boys!! Gather all of these goodies in a pile. We're setting them on fire."

Amy almost dropped dead when she heard that. She couldn't believe it. Were these people really intent on burning all of Sonic's and her possessions? Would they actually light a fire in the middle of a forest?

"Captain," said the kiddy voice, "we can't! This all belongs to Sonic, we can't--"

"Don't discuss my orders!!" said the Captain loudly. "Charmy Bee, for your information, we're here to neutralize Sonic the Hedgehog and his lackey – forgot his name – whatever."

Although she couldn't see him from behind her tree, Amy understood the kid was Charmy – if she remembered correctly, one of the Chaotix, Knuckles' group of friends. Amy quickly put two and two together… Charmy's presence meant this group was a force of the Floating Island. Amy froze – for all she knew, Slug could very well be among them. She hoped will all her heart it wasn't the case.

"… if we neutralize the hedgehog," continued the Captain, "it means we render him helpless. We use scorched-earth policy. We're destroying his supplies. Slug will be here in less than three days, I want this field to be wiped clean of any Sonic-meddling. Slug doesn't want any interlopers at his party."

"I don't know, Captain," said Charmy, "it could be--"

"Listen kid," said the Captain harshly, interrupting him again. "You're not part of my unit, so you don't have to follow my orders. However, I'm the one in charge of this mission, so if I say we burn this place to the ground, that's what happens. My boys listen to me, not you. That being said, would you please BUZZ OFF?"

Obviously, that's what little Charmy Bee must have done (probably literally), for Amy didn't hear him protest after that.

Meanwhile, despite a temporary relief from the knowledge that Slug wasn't here, Amy was absolutely terrified. It sounded like this group of Islanders was to 'neutralize' Sonic and Tails in order to clear the way for Slug. Whatever that meant, it didn't sound good. Amy knew she had to avoid them like the plague – if she or Sonic or Tails were caught, they would probably be taken to the Floating Island. She cringed at the thought of almost having been found out – what if she hadn't slipped out of the clearing in the nick of time?

Amy's tension only heightened when she noticed the smell of gasoline. She couldn't believe what they were doing – they were actually setting her tent and belongings on fire. She couldn't understand why on earth they would do that, but it was really happening.

It was only a very short while until they lit it. Amy could well see the intense light radiating between the trees and feel the menacing warmth of the flames. Cowering behind her tree, she knew she absolutely had to leave before being found out. Her escape was overdue. If these people wanted to attract some attention from Borealis, as they surely would anyway, they would soon be watching the area carefully.

It was time to move out. Amy crawled in the dirt to get away from the remains of her camp going up in smoke. Her progress was laborious, but she thought she managed to leave without being seen. After a few minutes of crawling past a few trees, she got on her feet and carefully made her way to the edge of the forest, trying her best to be out of anyone's sight. Thankfully, the light from the fire was now at a distance and the night shielded her from being seen.

Amy was more than upset by this turn of events. Even before contemplating the loss of Sonic's supplies that she was supposed to protect, she now knew precisely the Islanders were first after Sonic and Tails. She didn't know where to go next. For all she knew, Tails was in trouble as well, which would account for his failure to meet her earlier in the day.

Then she remembered… A voice in her ear distinctly called out to her: "I have this cabin in the forest… If you are ever in trouble, you can come… It's safe."

Amy knew she had heard this voice recently… Now she remembered who had uttered these words: Joey, the caretaker of the greenhouse in Borealis. Amy didn't know him well, but for some reason, she wanted to trust his offer. Though Amy had shrugged it off at the time, she remembered Joey had been serious.

She made her decision. She wasn't safe here and the best way within her reach to flee the danger facing her was in an innocuous cabin hidden in the forest. Carefully following the edge of the forest, she started her journey towards this haven.

She had never been there before, of course, but she remembered Joey saying it was located straight north from the base and just past the edge of the trees. These indications were rather vague, but Amy had a good sense of direction. The night wasn't pitch black and she could still make out the forms of Borealis in the distance.

As she marched towards her destination, Amy's fright lessened a bit. The immediate danger she had to face was temporarily over, so she concentrated on finding this house. Sometimes she looked behind her, if only to check whether anyone was following, and she could still some faint light in the distance from the fire.

After a while, Amy guessed she couldn't be too far off. Lessening her pace, she looked more carefully. Her search wasn't successful at first. Moreover, it appeared to be jeopardized when Amy noticed a small silhouette emerging from the trees a few yards from her.

Her anxiety eased immediately: it was Joey who must have been somehow disturbed by the fire on the other side of the plain and was now coming out of his lair to get a better idea of the event.

"Joey!" she called out. He saw her immediately: Amy couldn't tell his expression since it was still dark. She ran up to him. "Hi," she said almost out of breath.

"Hi," he responded, before looking at the faint light in the distance coming from the flames. "Do you know what happened over there?" he asked.

Amy looked at the light as well. "Yeah. I just came from over there." She took a few seconds to catch her breath. "It was pretty scary," she said after a moment.

"So, what happened?"

"They attacked me," she said softly, trying to substantiate her reason for coming here. "The Islanders… You know, the guys from the Floating Island. I was sleeping in this tent and they came over. I slipped out in time but they just… they just…" Her voice trailed off. It indeed had been a frightening experience. "They basically burned all of my stuff. My tent and everything," she finished.

Hearing this, he turned to her. "I'm sorry."

Amy smiled faintly. "It's okay, it's not your fault you know."

"I know. I just mean that I feel sorry you were aggressed and that your possessions were destroyed."

Amy nodded. They both looked at the light again. Ironically it didn't seem menacing from such a distance: on the contrary, its presence in the middle of the night was somehow enchanting and poetic.

"Joey… You know, the other day… You said that if I was in trouble… I could come here…"

"Yeah," said Joey. "You can crash in my house if you like. It's just a few trees from here. It's not a palace, but you should be fine."

Amy smiled. She felt she had made the right decision. If her fortunes had just taken a serious downturn, at least she was now safe.

"Thanks, Joey."

----

Thank you for having just read this. I have another map up, this time of Borealis and surroundings. It basically shows the places Amy has seen since she arrived up to chapter 11. Here's the link:

www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006mapofborealis . jpg

Again, just paste this link to your browser and delete all of the spaces. I haven't found out how to set up a proper link, sorry. It won't accept it otherwise. If you delete all of the spaces, the picture should load.


	12. Unworthy Sweet Sister

**Unworthy Sweet Sister**

----

Joey promptly led Amy to his little cabin, situated a few trees from the edge of the forest. Amy couldn't judge it well from outside due to the dark of the night, and the interior also wasn't blessed with any light. Amy did discern the presence of a fireplace in the main room, noticeable by a few embers still warm. Joey quickly revived the fire, and soon a few flames were racing up his chimney.

"Aren't you afraid of attracting attention?" asked Amy. "People might notice the smoke."

"Not at this time of the night."

The warmth and the little light by the domestic fire created a cozy and welcoming atmosphere in the cabin. Amy was able to finally relax a bit for the first time in a while, feeling safe and protected by the timbers and the heat, not to mention Joey's soothing presence despite his effaced demeanor and lack of strength. Amy could also appreciate the composition of the small house, which was little more than a shed. It was only made up of a large room, graced by some old furniture made of wood including a tiny one-person bed, and a few possessions that hung on the wall. Amy noticed the presence of a few musical instruments innocuously spread about the room, such as a guitar.

"You have all these instruments… do you play music?"

"Just a little bit," said Joey.

Amy smiled. She never thought there could be music this deep in the frontier. She was suddenly interested in knowing more about her friend. "So Joey… tell me about yourself."

"There's not much to tell," he said. "I was born 16 years ago… My father was an engineer, he tried to work Dr. Eggman's stuff at the base. I'm not sure how it worked out for him, but I lost him early." Joey was speaking slowly as he tried to figure out what he could say that would interest Amy. "I never had many friends. There aren't many people around here. You might have noticed."

Amy chuckled discreetly. "Yeah. Well, you're like, hundreds of miles beyond the frontier. By the way, how did you learn the Mobian language? How come you all speak it over here?"

"I've never spoken Ambrosian," said Joey. "I wasn't born then, but ever since Dr. Eggman came, we've been speaking Mobian. I guess it was a condition of our alliance with him. When he left, no one really knew how to bring back the Ambrosian language."

"I see," Amy said simply.

"What about you?" asked Joey.

Amy took a moment before answering this question. She was never enthusiastic about telling her life story, since she had always avoided doing so to her peers during her years at that hateful school. After gathering her thoughts, she began to recount briefly her life of adventures during her childhood, before coming to the day of her deportation. She then started to narrate some of her life during her egregious exile… Yet as she was telling her story, she noticed something very strange. For some reason, it actually was much less painful to tell Joey about her experience in exile than when she talked to Sonic or Tails. During these six unpleasant years, Amy had always kept the memory of her two friends alive, and unwittingly associated them closely with the experience itself at the boardinghouse: even if they had been far away, she had kept them in her heart; therefore, this association somehow kept her from discussing comfortably this topic with them. On the contrary, Joey was the first friend she had met who was completely distinct from her exile, and she trusted him all the more with her story both because she now knew he had always been a lonely soul as well, and because his shyness and effacement distinguished him completely from the hypocrisy she had perceived in every single person of her school.

"It seems that under your amiable personality, you've been solitary as well," said Joey thoughtfully.

Amy smiled, less at Joey's insight than at the veiled compliment he had uttered.

There was then a bit of silence, during which Amy thought once again of the hostile nature of this world and of this remote place.

"What are you thinking?" Joey asked, noticing her pensive expression.

"I'm just thinking… about… I wonder why they did that. Why they burned all of my stuff. It doesn't really make sense."

Joey thought for a second. "Did you hear them make their decision?"

"Yeah. I couldn't hear well, but… their leader… It sounded like he said something about 'scorched-earth policy'."

Joey nodded. "If they're after you… They want to destroy your supplies, to weaken you. Maybe they're also used to this policy to show their presence and might. It's a psychological tactic."

"I guess," said Amy weakly.

There was another silence, so Joey finally suggested: "it's a bit late. Maybe we should sleep."

"Sure," said Amy. "But where can I… uh… do you have another mattress?"

"I'm not used to having guests," he replied. "The bed's pretty long, so we can sleep on opposite ends."

Amy slightly grinned. It did sound comical. Their feet might touch in the middle. Then she noticed Joey was eying her clothes. She soon understood why: they were full of dirt and mud from when she had to crawl out of her camp to escape. She blushed.

"Uh… do you have any PJs or something?" she asked.

Joey shook his head. "I won't look," he said, which meant Amy would have to undress to avoid smearing the bed. "You can clean them when you wake up tomorrow. I won't be here, anyway."

"You won't?"

"I have to get up to help fix that water supply at the base. There's no running water here but I collect some rainwater outside, you can use that."

"Okay," she said. "Thanks… I mean, thanks for everything." She smiled.

----

The day had long risen when Amy finally woke up. After a pleasant sleep, she appreciated how the sunlight brightly illuminated the interior through the few windows. She immediately noticed Joey's absence, but then remembered he was supposed to help fix the water supply. Stepping outside, Amy quickly found Joey's reserve of rainwater and was able to wipe some of the stains on her clothes, avoiding in the process any excess in humidifying them (she would have to wear them today).

She later found herself relaxing in the cabin again and admiring Joey's old furniture. Out of curiosity she did look a bit in the different drawers, even if she tried not to browse too fully out of decency.

An ostentatious object located in one of those compartments soon piqued her interest. An oddly shaped item made of metal was staring at her, grabbing her attention. Amy picked it up: it felt quite dense for its size, and although it looked old, it was also wiped so clean Amy could see her blurred expression through it. There were a few letters inscribed: "B.L.Y.T.H.E." Amy wondered what it meant. She then figured out what it looked like. It was a very large key, the size of a small book.

Amy had never seen anything quite like it. Its special appearance, of course, immediately suggested it could be the object Sonic was so desperately looking for. But if this was the key to the chamber containing the Ambrosian Files… What on earth could it be doing in this little shack? Then Amy remembered Sonic's words: "it's probably at some unlikely place." Joey was a small and frail figure: nobody could suspect he kept the key to the chamber at his miserable cabin in the forest. It suddenly made sense.

"That's it," Amy thought. "That's the key to the chamber with the Ambrosian Files."

To say Amy was immediately tempted to grab it was an understatement. This was a boon, a veritable godsend. It was what Sonic was looking for, what he had (reluctantly) assigned Amy to seek. Upon initially understanding its identity, Amy had no doubt she needed to seize it.

However, she also felt an unsuspecting sense of guilt… She would be stealing from Joey. She hadn't known him for long, but they were now friends and he had provided her with some help when she needed it most. On top of that, Joey was probably supposed to safeguard this key for the Ambrosians – which meant its loss could get him into a lot of trouble with his peers and especially his boss. Amy wasn't sure if Joey could stand up for himself: after all, he was just a little guy, a caretaker of the greenhouse, living by himself in this modest shack. She knew her act could potentially hurt him, although she wasn't sure by how much.

Yet these qualms were all but forgotten when Amy thought of what this could bring her. Were she to give this key to Sonic, their quest might be achieved very quickly, and the trio could escape from this wild terrain soon to be infested by the nefarious Islanders. If they succeeded, she would be free of that menace, but she would also be reunited with her two best friends. Most of all, she could take credit for unexpectedly being the crucial element to the success of this mission – if Sonic recognized this, she could finally earn his respect, friendship, and maybe more…

In Amy's mind, this key wasn't just to open the corresponding chamber. It was also the key to her own success, her emancipation. It was a metaphorical incarnation of everything she was seeking in her trip to Ambrosia.

She didn't resist long. Before she knew it, the key was comfortably sitting in her knapsack. Well, it was not so comfortable due to its heavy weight, but Amy didn't mind. In any event, she was confidently on her way to Borealis, towards the prison where she could once again meet Sonic and show him her finding.

Again, Amy was able to put to use her knowledge of the base she had acquired in her past two visits in order to avoid being seen. She had a good memory and managed to work her way between the different structures while avoiding the sight of the different security cameras. She knew it was even more crucial today to prevent an unpleasant encounter, for she was carrying her prize as a thief in her knapsack. Fortunately, Amy knew from hearing the Captain last night the Islanders were probably not to scour the base itself until Slug's arrival two days from now.

Amy was in for a surprise when she reached the prison. She had expected to find Sonic in the same cell, just like yesterday. Yet when she reached it, she could only gasp as she noticed what had happened. Sonic had escaped! The cell door was wide open, its lock obliterated.

Following an initial disappointment – she had been very excited at the idea of seeing Sonic again – Amy was actually relieved, a feeling that soon developed almost into happiness. Sonic was free. She only needed to find him, while the burden of having to progress with Sonic trapped behind bars was gone. As soon as she could meet him again, the success of their quest would only be a matter of time.

Knowing her camp had been destroyed and her possessions burnt, Amy knew the only place to go was at Tails' camp. With any luck, Sonic had met up with his buddy and the trio could reunite there tonight, if not sooner.

Fulfilled and optimistic, Amy carefully made her way out of Borealis in the direction of Tails' site.


	13. Snub the Beholder

**Snub the Beholder**

----

Amy was dreamily sitting against a bush near the pond, waiting for her two friends to show up. She couldn't wait to see them, for she felt so much pride at having fulfilled her mission. Though she could have gone all the way to Tails' site, her current location had the advantage of combining pleasantness and strategy. In the shade, she could easily see someone coming from Borealis, while someone in the sun would have a hard time noticing her unless they came close.

However, her mild reverie was interrupted by a presence coming not from Borealis, but approaching from the forest behind her. Amy didn't notice it until it was just a few yards away. The silhouette had obviously already spotted Amy. Leaving her knapsack against the bush, she carefully looked behind her to determine who was coming.

"Amy Rose?" asked the prowler's voice.

Amy was on her guard. She knew this voice, but it certainly didn't belong to her friends. It was not gruff or hostile, but smooth and female. As Amy looked again, the two creatures spotted each other simultaneously, still a few feet apart from one another.

Amy didn't recognize the intruder at first, for she seemed so different than before… It was none other than Anya. Yet the last times Amy had seen her, Anya had been sick and in bed, weak and dependent on Amy's care. As the two women moved tentatively in the sun to get a measure of one another, Amy could only marvel at how different Anya looked, healthy and in her full fighting garb. This lean and athletic woman, possibly only in her mid-twenties, appeared strong and even sexy.

"Amy Rose… Dear me, this is a surprise. I thought I saw you yesterday… I couldn't believe you would be here, of all places."

Amy said nothing and avoided making a move. She tried her best not to show it, but she was alarmed and on her guard. This woman was none other than the wife of the dreaded Slug, and Amy knew nothing of her motives in coming to her, except that they spelled trouble with a capital T. If Amy tried to mask her emotion, Anya deliberately adopted a mysteriously amiable posture.

"Well child, am I not to receive a greeting?" said Anya condescendingly. "After the trouble I took today to meet you… since we missed each other yesterday when the Alpha Unit almost found you."

Amy stared at the young woman, her tension rising. She finally spoke, her voice crisp and abrupt. "What's the Alpha Unit?"

Anya then sneered, her contempt evident. "Don't they teach you anything?" she mocked. "It's a small crack force that belongs to the Floating Island. I was with them yesterday when they found Sonic the Hedgehog's camp… That's when I saw you."

Amy raged internally – she realized she had been spotted the previous day after all as she had fled her camp going up in flames. Again, she tried to restrain her emotions and concentrated on inveighing as much information as possible out of Anya. "So they sent you here?" she asked tersely.

"No, don't worry, no one knows I'm here… not even my husband. He's still on the Floating Island, renegotiating his salary…" She looked amused at that thought. "Don't you worry, he'll come soon, in a few days."

Amy was breathing hard as she heard Anya mentioning Slug, but said nothing.

"I just came here on my own," Anya continued, "for a… friendly chat. You know, a little girl talk." Anya tried to speak with a hint of friendliness, but it was obvious her intentions were malicious.

"How did you find me?" asked Amy dryly.

"My, you silly girl… In your tent, you left a map that was marked with this spot. It wasn't too hard to find you, you know?"

Amy almost cringed at this revelation. Of course. She had completely forgotten about Sonic's map… She had looked at it before her camp was attacked, and had left in such a panic she had not bothered to check her tent carefully.

"So what is it you want?" Amy asked, trying to think of a way to get rid of this woman.

"You know very well what I want," Anya replied, determined. "I want our money back."

Amy's body tensed as she heard that. She nearly flinched, but tried to keep her cool in order to face Anya. "What money?"

"Don't mock me, little girl," Anya leered. "I'm talking about the money you stole from us!"

Amy felt her anxiety ripple through her body, but stood her ground. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

Anya's smile was now completely gone from her face. She looked at Amy with the utmost loathing. "You pathetic little brat… You_will_ give it back. Willingly… or otherwise," she said dangerously.

And with that, she lunged at Amy, initiating a fierce melee between the two women.

Their brawl was short. Despite her 'training,' which had mostly consisted of wrestling the popular girls of her class or hitting the school gym's punching-ball, Amy was no match at all for Anya. Being a professional mercenary like her husband, Anya's kung-fu skills had been blessed by years of fighting in wars and suicide missions, not to mention the mutual training she and Slug constantly shared whenever they had some time off.

Indeed, Amy was being clobbered. Though she had expected Anya's attack, she had just barely managed to avoid the first blow. Taking a few steps back, she didn't have the chance to counterattack, for her opponent immediately hit her with a well aimed front kick in the stomach that sent Amy flying. Despite the shock, Amy managed to stand up after her fall to face her foe, only to receive a powerful uppercut that made her nearly collapse. Anya wasn't done, however: she then lifted Amy by the collar of her shirt and brutally slapped her in the face, letting go of her at the same time. At this last blow, Amy simply dropped to the ground, her energy gone.

With Amy lying flat on her face, Anya walked to her and using her foot, she rolled Amy halfway so Amy was now on her back. Anya then pinned Amy down by sitting on Amy's chest and holding Amy's hands firmly on the ground, so Amy couldn't move at all.

"Where is it?" Anya asked dangerously.

Amy didn't answer. She was deliberately avoiding Anya's eyes, pretending not to acknowledge her enemy despite her anguish.

"I _said_," slowly repeated Anya, "where. Is. It. Answer me, you naughty little girl." With that, Anya suddenly and violently slapped Amy's face. Amy cried in pain and shock.

Anya then saw a few yards away Amy's knapsack sitting against the bush. Absolutely certain of her physical and psychological dominance over Amy, she got up and determinedly walked over to grab it, after which she unceremoniously dumped its contents onto the ground. "My, my… What have we got here?"

She first saw Amy's diary and looked inside, quickly reading a sentence here and there and leafing through the pages. "Wow," she chuckled with an amused disdain. "This diary is so… personal." Amy could only watch with anger and humiliation as this woman cruelly violated her most intimate thoughts. "How touching…" Anya said cynically. "Oh my God, this is so pathetic it makes me want to puke. The romantic yearnings of an insecure adolescent girl… Yech." With those words she carelessly threw it aside.

Amy then looked in horror as she saw Anya notice the key acquired recently today. Anya couldn't really miss it of course, for its appearance and size were rather conspicuous. She picked it up and inspected it. "Interesting, this little treasure you've got here… 'Blythe' eh," she said reading the inscription.

Amy couldn't bear this woman freely helping herself to her precious finding. Summoning up her strength left, she quickly got up and leaped at her opponent. Anya was ready, though. Sensing Amy's movement behind her, she easily responded by delivering a stunning back kick that landed right in Amy's chest. It came so rapidly that Amy had no time to react, and she rolled to the ground helplessly. As her body ended its trajectory and came to a halt, she noticed Anya standing dominantly just above her, the key still in her hand.

"Apparently, this object is important to you… I think I know what it is. I'll take it. I think Knuckles will make good use of this…" Strong and unscathed, Anya looked triumphantly at Amy who was still on the ground, utterly defeated. "Thanks for this key. Think of this as payback for stealing our money. As far as I'm concerned, we're now even. However…" With a malicious smile, Anya crouched in order to level with Amy, both literally and figuratively. "A piece of friendly advice, Amy Rose. While I have a soft spot for little girlies like you," she said with poisoned sweetness in her voice, "you better do your best to avoid my husband. I assure you… He won't be as forgiving as I am."

And with that, she confidently strutted away with her prize in her hand, leaving a humiliated Amy lying in anger and despair.

Bruised and battered, Amy was still under the shock of what had just happened. Moments earlier, she had been nearly ecstatic and proud at her feat. She had been ready to show Sonic her prize and definitely prove to be a capital asset to his enterprise. In just an instant, her world had completely turned around. She had been beaten and robbed of her precious treasure. Her tremendous disappointment first translated into a burning anger, a rage she had seldom known before. She hated this woman for having humiliated her, for having proven to be so strong, for having helped herself to her possessions with absolute impunity. Amy had not been able to touch her foe, let alone even lightly scathe her, and raged at having been unable to defend herself.

But that desire for revenge and violence was easily quelled by a newfound perception of her impotence. Amy's defeat at Anya's hands had consisted of much more than the mere loss of her prize: this struggle's foremost ramifications were psychological. Amy could only wail in supreme frustration as she considered how powerless she had been to face this trial. Rather than just beat Amy to a pulp, Anya had uttered the cruelest words, deliberately infantilizing Amy's status. Amy's adolescence was naturally a period of insecurity and she was all the more vulnerable to Anya's powerful demonstration that she might still be little more than a helpless child. As a result, Amy's efforts to prove to Sonic how much of an asset she could be were suddenly crashing down.

Most of all, Amy's velleity to repair her state of mind was all but annihilated by the lethal reiteration of the menace that still hung above her. She now knew for a fact that Slug had not forgotten at all her theft of his money. The ominous warning she received from Anya more than ever substantiated the fear she had been dealing with ever since she had heard Slug had been hired by the Floating Island. This sword of Damocles underlined her dramatically precarious situation, which at the moment seriously hindered her sense of initiative.

In this unhappy state, Amy dully dragged herself back to Tails' little camp. She felt inclined to cry her heart out but did her best to resist the temptation, for she felt it would irreversibly prove Anya was absolutely right about her. As she reached the tent she remembered coming here only the previous afternoon… She had left that note asking Tails to come help her fetch Sonic's supplies, and his failure to make good on Amy's bidding had led to the destruction of her camp. She didn't find her note where she had left it, which meant Tails had come by since then. She found it lying on the ground next to the tent… Tails hadn't seen it. He had just walked in yesterday night without noticing it. As a result, Amy had not brought back Sonic's supplies and had been attacked by the Alpha Unit. They had destroyed her possessions and Anya had found the map, which had led her to Amy today… Disgusted, Amy promptly crumbled the piece of paper and vengefully threw it away, cursing the heavens. None of this would have happened if Tails had found her note.

Sulking in the tent, Amy barely heeded Tails as he came back. Though he was exhausted from running around all day, he dragged Amy outside in order to administer a bit of first aid when he noticed the few injuries she had suffered. Amy didn't object, for she was not in a position to react. Anyway, Tails knew what he was doing, for in the past week he had cured himself of many injuries received in his fights with El.

As Tails was deploying his nursing skills, Amy also worriedly noticed Sonic's absence tonight. She still didn't know what he would say about her failures, but could only guess he would retreat to his earlier position to expel her. After Tails was finished and took a seat on a log across from Amy, she tried asking her friend about this.

"Tails… you know… I went by that prison earlier today… I saw Sonic managed to get out."

Tails nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"How do you know? Did you see him?"

"I was the one who busted him out," he explained.

"Really? When?"

"Last night, when there was a fire in the forest. I didn't know what it was, I just saw it in the distance and thought El would be there, so it was my chance to go and help Sonic."

"Oh." That explained it. "What did he say?"

"Uh…" Tails tried to remember. "I remember he was kind of upset when he saw the fire in the distance," he said at last. "He took off really quickly. I didn't really know what to do, so I just came back here. I haven't seen him since."

So Sonic had disappeared… This had the effect of emphasizing the uncertainty of the redefinition of his rapport with Amy. "Did he… did he say anything about me?" she asked, hiding her anxiety.

Tails thought for a second, but said: "I don't remember. I guess he didn't. When he saw that fire, he just told me we'd catch up later and then he took off."

"Okay… but you said… he was upset."

Tails nodded. "Yeah. Something about our stuff being over there…"

Amy cringed. This accumulation of her woes was even worse than expected. Sonic was upset because their supplies had been burning up… and he had entrusted Amy with protecting them. The least she could say was that she failed miserably… With the definitive loss of the key she had found at Joey's, she knew her efforts to be an asset to Sonic had come to naught. Worse: because of her, the Islanders had virtually defeated Sonic. Thanks to her blunder, they had the key to the chamber and they had deprived Sonic of his resources, deploying their power to control the field. Anya had been right. Amy was an insignificant little girl… a liability.

"Amy," said Tails finally, "what's wrong?" Amy had been unknowingly drooping as a consequence of her depression, so Tails couldn't help but notice she was troubled and sad.

Amy didn't know how to answer, though. The dramatic mutation in her fortunes and state of mind in the course of just a few hours left her speechless, and she was at this point simply trying to keep from releasing her tears.

"Oh Tails… I… I'm just so confused," she wailed.

Tails looked at Amy, unsure of what to do. He could see Amy was upset, but he was still a shy and insecure youth and didn't know how to step in. Amy was sitting on her log all curled up and immobile. After a moment, Tails tentatively walked over to Amy and sat next to her. Not sure about what he should do, he tried placing a hand on her shoulder.

At that, Amy slowly straightened her head a tiny bit. "I'm sorry, Tails," she said weakly. "I'm not ready to explain now. I need to calm down first. Maybe we can talk tomorrow."

Tails quietly nodded. "Okay, if that's what you want." Amy didn't respond, so Tails got up and suggested: "maybe we could… well maybe I could fix some dinner… if you want."

Amy shook her head, still looking down. "I'm not hungry," she blandly replied. Her stomach was actually fairly empty, but food was the last thing in her mind right now.

Amy lied fallow on her log for the remainder of the evening. She still tried to make sense of the avalanche of emotions that befell her, but to little avail. Her self-respect shattered, she felt more and more like a loser.

Somehow, this perception of her powerlessness and futility made her think of Joey. With the initial triumph at acquiring the key to the chamber now fully obliterated, Amy was starting to feel the compassion and remorse that she should and would have felt earlier, if not for her former overconfidence. This morning, despite their friendship, Amy had felt little guilt in stealing so shamefully from Joey, because she selfishly thought he was just this little guy whose importance certainly didn't match her primordial quest for emancipation. Now that Amy was reduced to insignificance, she felt a tremendous sympathy for Joey's plight, while cursing herself for having betrayed him so callously. Because of her, Joey would probably get into the worst trouble. The loss of her prize then served as a fitting punishment that Amy now felt she fully deserved, for her act had been insensitive, traitorous, and selfish. This morning, she had never expected she would come to regret her deed so genuinely.

"Joey… I'm sorry…"


	14. I Promise

**I Promise**

----

Still deeply depressed, Amy had trouble going to sleep. Lying inside the tent with an unconscious Tails beside her, she couldn't help going through the events of today over and over. The images of her callous theft of Joey's key and the blow received at the hands of the perfidious Anya kept running through her mind. After a few hours of trying to get some rest, she finally dozed off into an uneasy sleep.

It didn't last long. When she opened her eyes, it was still the middle of the night, but something was wrong. Despite the darkness she could notice that Tails was sitting up and on alert. He was vigilantly listening to every possible sound. When he saw Amy was awake as well, he pressed his finger on his mouth to instruct her to keep silent.

"What's wrong?" she whispered very softly.

"I think there might be someone outside," he whispered back. "I just heard these weird sounds." After a pause, he murmured: "I'm going outside to check it out. Stay here, I'll be right back."

Amy nodded and Tails promptly but quietly left the tent.

For a minute Amy heard no sound at all, which certainly underlined Tails' remarkable stealth, but also suggested it might have been a false alarm.

However, Amy very soon distinguished the ruffling of the grass and fallen leaves. People were definitely moving this way or at least walking around the camp.

Then she heard voices. Their tones were not particularly intense, but more than one person was speaking. Many of the voices were unknown except when she heard Tails answer. It sounded like he was annoyed for some reason.

Finally Tails came back, a resigned expression spread across his face.

"What is it? Who's there?" asked Amy quickly.

Tails sighed. "Amy, we need to pack up… now…"

"What? … Why?"

"These people outside, they won't leave unless we come with them. We have no choice." Though seemingly accepting his fate, Tails actually looked tremendously irritated at these news.

"But… who are they?"

"A bunch of guys from the Floating Island. I think they said they were, like, the Alpha Unit or something."

Amy suddenly winced as she heard that name. They were the same ones that had attacked her camp the previous night.

"Just start packing up our stuff here. I'll gather the stuff that's outside," Tails said as he left the tent.

Amy knew she had to get away as soon as she could. If the Alpha Unit took her back to their camp, she was done for. Thinking quickly, she glanced around the tent, looking for anything that might help her escape. She soon spotted, next to Tails' belongings, a shiny Swiss army knife.

There was her chance. These goons were probably keeping an eye on Tails and on the front of their tent. Not forgetting her precious knapsack, Amy grabbed the knife and quickly but discreetly pierced a piece of the tarp at the back of the tent. She carefully slipped outside and, taking advantage of the darkness, softly crawled away from the tent.

Wishing with all her heart she hadn't been spotted unlike last night, Amy nevertheless succeeded in her escape. With a safe distance between her and the group of Islanders, she got on her feet and headed for the field, minding the risk of getting lost in the woods.

As she reached the field, Amy stopped for a moment, resting against a tree at the edge of the forest. She had to pause and think for a while.

Unfortunately, the situation seemed rather hopeless. Her team now seemed fully decimated: her camp had been destroyed the previous night, Tails' camp had just been attacked, Tails was captured by the Alpha Unit, and Sonic had disappeared. She was alone and friendless in a hostile environment, hundreds of miles away from civilization. How could she have gotten herself in such a desperate situation?

Then it hit her – the map. Once again, she had forgotten she had carelessly lost Sonic's map at her camp and Anya had found it when it was attacked. Anya must have given it to the Captain after her meeting with Amy yesterday. Amy realized she should have warned Tails they were in danger and needed to move out immediately, but she had been so depressed she had not thought things through. Amy wailed in frustration, cursing herself for her disastrous mistake.

Amy knew she had one last friend she could turn to… Joey. But Amy knew she had irreversibly betrayed him, and her brain was telling her running to Joey could be a dreadful mistake. Joey and his friends had trusted her for no reason, and she had paid them back by stealing the key to their most precious treasure… Any levelheaded person would have avoided an encounter with the Ambrosians after such an act. And for all she knew, El himself might already be informed of the theft and could be watching her possible appearance in Borealis.

Yet Amy felt something very strange about Joey… She could hardly explain why, but in her heart she still trusted him, she trusted their friendship to overcome her betrayal. Their exchange at his cabin had revealed the many similarities between the two creatures, and they had both recognized that likeness. Besides, Joey was the only friend left who could possibly help her now.

She made her decision. Setting off at a good pace along the edge of the trees, for the second night in a row Amy headed for Joey's cabin.

It was a long walk, because Amy chose a different route, avoiding both the eastern half of the plain to stay away from the Islanders as much as possible, while bypassing Borealis in order to prevent any unpleasant encounters with Ambrosians other than Joey. She was traveling at a good pace though, for she didn't feel safe out in the open, even at night.

After a long while, she figured she was getting close to her destination, and entered the forest in order to find Joey's house. Yet at night, it was quite difficult to recognize the area from what she had seen the previous day. After a short frantic search, Amy sighed in frustration as she realized she wouldn't find it easily.

"Joey… where are you?" she muttered to herself.

At this moment she heard the sound of someone approaching yet already very close to her. She turned to it, expecting to see Joey, and she was right, although she was surprised to see him that close to her so suddenly. He must have been looking for whoever was there after having heard the sounds of someone prowling around his place.

As soon as they saw each other, something unexpected happened between the two of them. They were very close to one another when they abruptly realized each other's presence. Amy was instantly delighted at having found her friend, and at this sudden moment the two hedgehogs fell into each other's arms, almost naturally.

"Joey!" Amy exclaimed as they hugged each other. "Thank goodness I've found you!"

"Hi," he said, still holding his friend.

"Joey, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," she said emotionally. "Please… please forgive me. I shouldn't have done it. It was so wrong. Please forgive me."

"Okay," he said calmly.

Amy was relieved at his lack of bitterness, but was also surprised. "But Joey… I stole from you! I shouldn't have! I'm really, really sorry…"

"It's okay," he repeated, "don't worry about it. I'm glad to see you again."

Amy was soon filled with an intense feeling of liberation. She was so grateful for Joey's forgiveness and friendship. Still holding him will all her affection, Amy relished the removal of the burden of her apprehension. She had sought Joey tonight out of an irrational instinct, betting on their natural friendship, and she had been right. Still remorseful about her betrayal, she added, "are you sure it's okay?"

Joey then lessened his embrace. "Really, it's all right. It's not that important, anyway."

"But won't you get in trouble?" she asked with worry.

Joey solemnly looked down. "I'll be okay."

Amy watched him guiltily. "Listen, I don't know how I can make it up to you… I should be the one getting in trouble, not you. But if you do get in trouble, I'll come take care of you. I promise." Though they were the same age, Amy felt she might have to be his sister, and not just to compensate for her crime. Joey didn't look like a strong guy, and his life in the woods and in Borealis was probably very harsh, not just physically but also because of his lack of friends and family. In addition, Amy also thought Joey could only be oppressed by the iron fist of his fearsome leader, El, which would account for his shy personality. If she could, she had to help him and protect him.

"Okay," Joey simply replied, with a modest smile, looking trustfully into her eyes. Pulling away from her, he then noticed she was again exhausted and covered in dirt, just like last night. "Uh… Did something happen?" he asked.

Amy nodded. "Yes… they attacked us again. The same guys from last night. And… they took away my friend this time," she said sadly. "I hope he's okay. I had no place to go… They took all of our stuff."

"I'm sorry," Joey said compassionately. "Well, if you want, you can stay here until you sort things out. I don't mind."

Amy smiled weakly. "Thank you so much… but I don't deserve it. They took your key as well… I really wish I could give it back, but this woman from the Floating Island took it from me."

Joey looked down. "I'm sorry you lost it," he said, "it was probably important to you."  
Amy could barely believe Joey's altruism. He simply seemed to think that if Amy needed that key, she should have it regardless of her theft.

"I deserved losing it," she told him. "I shouldn't have taken it, it was wrong. It only serves me right that someone else took it from me."

Joey said nothing. Amy wasn't sure if he agreed or not, but if anything, he was showing the greatest sympathy for her plight. After a moment, he suggested: "uh, it's kind of cold. If you want, we can go back to my house."

Amy gladly agreed, and the two hedgehogs were soon inside the cabin. Despite its modest attributes, Amy felt secure being there, thanks to its natural feng shui and to the affection she now shared with Joey. Despite being disheartened at the fate of her two friends, Amy felt she had finally found a little island of peace in a sea of hostility and danger.


	15. Capture

**Capture**

----

After a comfortable sleep (despite the fact they again had to sleep on opposite ends of the same bed), Joey and Amy peacefully got up and prepared to go visit Borealis. Once again, Joey offered Amy the chance to clean her clothes with his supply of rainwater. She was glad for this opportunity, although she hoped Joey wasn't secretly looking at her from a window as she took her clothes off to scrub them of their dirt.

This moment alone allowed Amy to reflect on the situation. Despite having sealed her friendship with Joey, she thought her prospects looked rather bleak, for her troubles had by no means vanished. Amy still had to contemplate the decimation of her team, the impending invasion of the Islander forces including the dreaded Slug, as well as the possible hostility of the other Ambrosians, especially from their fearsome leader El.

"Joey," Amy asked when they started heading for Borealis, "I'm not sure if… uh… Well, are you sure it's okay for me to go to that base?"

"Why not?" he asked.

"Well you know… I'm not sure if your friends are happy with me. You know, because of what I did to you yesterday." Amy distinctly remembered Claire's suspicion of her a few days before.

Joey wasn't unsettled at all by this concern. "They don't know yet. We'll keep it a secret for now, I guess."

Amy gave him a smile of relief. "Thanks… I mean I sound horrible for asking you this," she conceded.

"Don't worry about it," he replied pleasantly.

Feeling safe in his presence despite his frailty, Amy happily accompanied Joey to his greenhouse where they could indulge in some breakfast. It mostly consisted of vegetables, but Amy didn't mind, for her hunger more than enhanced the modesty of their meal.

Afterwards, Joey invited Amy to pick a few provisions for the next night, whether she consumed them at his cabin or not. After marveling once again at Joey's botanical achievements, Amy finally settled on a pair of artichokes, though she declined Joey's offer to try some of his marijuana (Amy didn't think it was quite the time and place to get stoned).

Later in the morning, the pair went to the upstairs room where the monitors from the security cameras were set up and relaxed for a while. They talked about the water supply system, and Joey explained it was more or less done and he didn't have to work on it today, though Amy suspected he was taking the day off so he could hang out with her. She didn't mind, although she longed to meet Sonic and Tails again.

"Joey, I'm not sure what I should do. My friends have disappeared… They're prisoners of these guys from the Floating Island." Amy wasn't sure if Sonic was a captive of the Islanders, but it was highly probable since he hadn't shown up at Tails' camp yesterday.

Joey wasn't sure how to answer. "Well, you can stay at the cabin until the Islanders leave. If they take your friends away, we'll try find a way for you to reach the coast on your own."

"Thanks… But… Do you really think El will defeat the Islanders?"

Joey shrugged. "I guess."

Amy wasn't convinced. "Joey, you know… They hired that mercenary… Slug the Machine. He's coming very soon, probably tomorrow. Maybe you've heard of him?"

Joey shook his head.

"Well, he's supposed to be really dangerous. That's why Knuckles – I mean, the Floating Island – hired him." All of a sudden Amy was inclined to let Joey know about Slug's grudge towards her. She had refrained from revealing the full story to anyone, including Sonic (especially Sonic), but was tempted by her trust towards Joey, who hadn't even frowned at her theft the previous day. She knew he wouldn't judge her for having taken Slug's money.

Yet Amy's inclination was suddenly cut off when the two hedgehogs spotted a figure on one of the monitors. It quickly moved off camera, aware of its presence, but Amy instantly recognized him.

"Joey, that's Tails! That's my friend!" she let out, unconcerned to show her affiliation with a sworn enemy of the Ambrosians. "I thought he had been captured last night… I guess he escaped as well."

Joey looked at Amy, expecting her decision.

"Joey, sorry, I think I need to go meet him."

"Okay, if you want," he said neutrally.

Amy got to her feet. "I'll see you again soon though. Again thank you so much for all of your help. You were wonderful," she said smiling. They briefly hugged each other once more.

"So, if you need still a place to crash, just come over like yesterday. I'm there most of the time," Joey said.

"Thanks," she replied gratefully. "I'm not sure what's going to happen tonight… I need to meet my friend and see what's up. Thanks again though. I'm sure I'll see you very soon."

With that, Amy disappeared by climbing down the ladder and set off towards the place where Tails had been spotted. She somewhat knew her way around Borealis now, at least its most strategic locations, although she hadn't visited every building and was still a bit overwhelmed by the enormous size of the base.

Reaching Tails' previous position, she realized he had had time to move out since then, so she followed the direction she had seen Tails choose. Guessing the path he might strategically have adopted, she soon noticed him carefully moving around the various metal structures.

"Tails, wait up!" she said after catching up.

Tails turned back, recognizing the voice and beaming at Amy's sight. "Hi, Amy," he said happily. "Glad you're okay!"

"Thanks! It's great to see you," she said, hugging him briefly. "But how come… I mean, what are you doing here?" She couldn't imagine the Alpha Unit had simply let him leave.

"I escaped, just like you," he said proudly.

Amy was very pleased at this turn of events: perhaps their situation wasn't so dire after all. Well, she wasn't sure about that, but Tails' freedom was certainly good news. "Anyway… what are you up to? Did you see Sonic?"

"No, haven't for awhile," he said quickly. "I'm uh, tracking down El, of course. He's not that far, maybe I'll catch up on him soon."

With a frown on her face, Amy placed her hands on her hips. "Tails… you're _tracking down El_?" she asked, with a hint of admonishment in her voice. "Aren't you the least bit concerned about being hunted and abducted by the Alpha Unit?"

Tails sighed and looked sheepishly at his feet. "I guess…"

"Come on Tails, let's go sit somewhere and talk," Amy offered. "I want to know how you escaped," she said with a smile back on her face.

"Okay," said Tails, "well, let's sit behind that pile of junk over there. That way, if El comes out of one of these buildings, I can spot him."

"Okay, sure. Whatever," said Amy, rolling her eyes.

They took a seat where Tails had suggested, although Tails was careful to find a spot where he could easily observe the area.

"So, how did you get away?" Amy asked eagerly.

Tails looked to her smugly. "At some point they were stopping for some reason, maybe to rest or because they couldn't find their camp or something. It was dark, so I just slipped out. I had been carrying some of my stuff, including the tent, so I took it with me." He grinned. "I wish I could've seen the look on their faces when they realized I was gone… What a bunch of goofballs."

Amy giggled, although she knew she felt much more serious about these matters.

"By the way," added Tails, "good job on taking off as well."

Amy smiled modestly, though she disagreed with Tails' praise because she knew she was responsible for the Alpha Unit discovering their location last night. "Thanks… Well, were they surprised?"

"Yeah. They seemed to know there were two of us. It was kind of funny, they were really frustrated and stuff."

Amy nodded, hiding her shame. "So, were you able to set up somewhere else?"

"Yeah! Some totally other place, much farther than where we were. We'll go there tonight. You know, I still have that tent."

"Right, you told me." They chatted for a bit longer, until Tails fell suddenly silent and motioned for Amy to do the same. He was now carefully watching the area, having heard something.

"I think…" He didn't finish, but his eyes narrowed as he reached for his small bag. Quickly feeling inside it, he finally took out a small pistol.

Amy opened her eyes wide. "You guys use guns?" she asked, bewildered.

Tails looked at his feet shamefully. "Sonic doesn't want me to," he said. "He would rather have me learn kung-fu or something. He says nice guys like us shouldn't use guns." Turning to Amy pleadingly, he asked, "please don't tell him I have this, okay? He doesn't know I brought it."

Amy sighed. "Okay, fine. But I definitely agree with him, you shouldn't use these things," she reprimanded.

Tails evaded Amy's gaze. "Look, I brought it just in case. When these gangsters attacked us yesterday, I made sure I took it before I bolted."

He then turned back to his surveillance.

"It's him," he whispered. "It's El. He's like, a few dozen yards from here. I can see him in the distance."

"Are you sure you should --"

"Yeah, I'm sure," he replied instantly.

With those last words he suddenly sprang up from the pile of junk where they had been hiding, activated his two tails and took off rapidly, the weapon still in his hand. Amy watched him from behind, he was speeding towards his foe, who in the distance was fleeing as well, surprised at Tails' sudden charge.

Amy tried to follow; she didn't want to lose Tails now that she had just found him again. But after a minute of chasing him, she finally saw him disappear into a structure through some kind of garage door, and didn't see him after that.

Amy waited a few moments, unsure of what to do. Borealis fell completely silent, as Tails was now gone. She wished she knew the location of Tails' new camp, but unfortunately he seemed more interested in knocking El out than anything else.

All of a sudden, she heard a noise come from inside that same building. Someone was approaching quickly. Tails immediately appeared, clumsily rushing outside towards Amy, the gun still in his hand.

"Let's get out of here," he said very quickly. "Come on Amy! He's on the move!"

Despite her confusion, Amy followed Tails as he sped in the opposite direction, back towards where they had come from just minutes earlier. Tails frantically looked all around him, then spotted something on his far left.

"Oh my God, he's over there, let's hide," he said in a panic. "Behind this box!" Amy and Tails had been running alongside a very long building on their right, next to which lied an enormous wooden crate, perhaps twice as tall and wide as Amy and Tails. Tails quickly led Amy behind it just in time since it instantly protected them from a sudden flood of lead fired their way. In retaliation, Tails fired his gun a few times as well from their refuge.

Amy was completely confused as to what had just happened. She only understood that they were trapped between a long wall and a large box, with someone firing at them from a distance. "Tails… what happened?"

Out of breath, Tails nevertheless answered. "Oooh I should've expected this… He basically led me in that building… then he just sort of vanished." Tails sighed. "He was trying to trap me. He just went outside some other way to attack from somewhere else. So I got out as fast as I could… but it was too late… He was outside waiting for us!" He looked down in defeat. "I think we might be trapped. He'll sit here all day, he's done it before."

"Trapped?"

"Yeah… I mean… captured," he said, disappointed with himself.

Amy sat against the crate in frustration. Despite the fact that Joey safely kept her theft a secret, she still wasn't particularly excited about getting captured by El and thrown in that prison cell where she had seen Sonic two days ago. Not only did the experience sound depressing, but she and Tails would also be further sabotaging Sonic's mission, and she knew she had already done enough damage. In addition, she didn't want to be confronted to the ruthless Ambrosian leader.

"Way to go, Tails," she muttered, though surprised at her sudden spite. "I mean, we should've just gone back to your camp earlier… or looked for Sonic or something…"

Tails pretended he hadn't heard her. He tried to look beyond the crate protecting the pair, but was met by an avalanche of bullets.

"Darn it," he said. "Well, we just need a bit of luck now… I wish I had Sonic's binoculars."

Amy grimaced. "They were among Sonic's things… but they were all burnt by the Islanders the other night…"

They waited for a while, unable to escape from their spot. Tails periodically checked to see whether El's position had changed, but had to be careful to avoid getting in firing range. Occasionally, he fired a few shots as well.

"Tails, I really don't like this… You firing that weapon of yours… It's dangerous," Amy scolded.

Tails didn't reply. He kept trying to glance at his opponent in the distance.

"Well, that's strange…"

"What's up?" asked Amy.

"Uh… It's like… His weapon's not working or something. It looks like he's trying to fix it."

Amy frowned. "Well… Shouldn't we move out then? It sounds like it's our chance."

Tails looked a bit confused. "I guess. Oh I see, he's preparing his…" He then gulped. "Whoa. Check it out. He's getting his rocket launcher ready or something."

Amy almost chuckled as she heard that. It seemed a bit surreal, especially Tails' procrastination in the face of this menace.

"Tails, let's go then! I don't want to be around when he fires a rocket in my face, you know."

Tails didn't really react, still staring at his opponent's activity. Amy had had enough. She grabbed her friend by the wrist and forcefully ran into the open, away from El, dragging Tails along with her. The landscape ahead of her made a small hill, behind which they could get out of El's firing range, but it was still a few yards away. Amy ran as fast as she could, despite the weight of the floppy kitsune, hoping to reach the hill before El finished loading his weapon.

"Tails, come on! We almost made it!" She looked behind her and made out in the distance the silhouette of El picking up his weapon, which was probably what Tails had identified as a rocket launcher. "He's aiming at us! Run!" she shouted as the duo was now almost past the hill.

At that moment a rocket exploded just below them, sending the two furry friends high in the air. Amy was soon falling upside down like a rock, but the explosion enabled Tails to suddenly come to his senses. In a split-second he activated his two tails into propeller mode, then he caught Amy by the ankles just before she hit the ground. He sped away, flying low in order to get past the hill as soon as possible.

Still held upside down by Tails, Amy realized what had happened. Embarrassed, she held her flared skirt up with her two hands, blushing since she knew Tails had the best possible view. Fortunately for her, her friend didn't care one bit about that at the moment, focusing on fleeing the field safely. Tails soon tired and gently landed the pink hedgehog.

Having narrowly avoided capture, the two then sped away from Borealis, Tails leading Amy towards his new camp.

----

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for the new reviews. I'll have chapter 16 up soon.


	16. Your Turn

**Your Turn**

----

As night fell over Ambrosia, Tails and Amy treated themselves to the pair of artichokes acquired this morning from Joey.

Tails had set up his second camp much farther than the first. It was now completely west of the plain and a bit deeper into the forest, so it could not be any more removed from the terrain invested by Knuckles' forces. In addition, Tails knew Sonic had planned to escape in a hurry towards the west coast of the Ambrosian Continent, which also justified this location.

Realizing his food supplies had vanished after the Islanders had attacked him the previous night, Tails begrudged the thought of having to hunt or gather their dinner, until Amy proudly produced the two artichokes. They were not his favorite food by any means, but it was better than nothing.

During dinner, the two friends reminisced the action they had witnessed today, especially since fighting El was a novelty to Amy. At many points though, Amy could not help reflecting pessimistically on their situation. She still remembered the Captain's words when her camp was attacked two nights ago: Slug was supposed to show up three days from then, which meant he could be here as early as tomorrow. Meanwhile, Sonic was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, she knew she had an ally, a friend in Borealis who could help her if needed. Though they had known each other for just a few days, he was still the only genuine friend she had made since Sonic and Tails. She was very grateful for his friendship, because he was the only one who had brightened her days since she had visited Sonic in his prison cell.

When they were done eating, Tails thanked Amy once again for the food she had delivered.

"Don't mention it," she smiled.

"By the way, where did you get 'em? They were pretty fresh."

"Yeah, they were." Amy paused for a second, but she didn't see any problem in telling Tails about her friend Joey. "I made friends with this guy… He gave me the artichokes this morning. You know, before you showed up."

Tails looked a bit confused. "Really? An Islander?" He didn't seem offended, but surely his experience last night with the Alpha Unit had heightened his suspicion of them.

"No no no," said Amy quickly, "an Ambrosian."

Tails was even more perplexed. "An _Ambrosian_."

"Yes," said Amy firmly. "Duh, I wouldn't be friends with an Islander… Not after they attacked us twice," she said with spirit. "Tails, it's not what you think. The Ambrosians aren't that bad. Really, this guy's okay. He's really nice! He's like, their gardener or something."

Tails frowned. "Their gardener?" He then grinned. "Amy, you're pulling my leg! You met the _gardener_ of Borealis?"

"Well, yeah. What's so weird about that?"

"But Amy, that's ridiculous! Borealis doesn't have a garden! That base is just a huge junkyard…"

"Of course it does," she replied confidently. "Really, he showed me his huge greenhouse and everything. He grows their food. His name's Joey."

Tails chuckled, although he didn't look so amused anymore. "Oh, right, I forgot about that greenhouse… I think I see who you're talking about."

"Look," said Amy, "I know you guys think the Ambrosians are our enemies. But this guy helped me a lot recently, he's really sweet and gentle…"

Tails shook his head, clearly unconvinced.

"Tails! What's so wrong with that? Is Joey part of El's team or something? … I mean I guess he is, of course, but he doesn't really… you know… he doesn't really fight.

"Oh, he does…"

"Come on, what's wrong with Joey?" asked Amy again. "Is he a member of El's family or something? Or a close friend?"

"No…" said Tails softly. "He's not El's friend."

"Why… He's not? How come? Why do you say that?"

"But I guess… He is a member of El's family, in a way…" he added pensively.

"Is he… Is he a cousin or something? Surely he can't be… his son?"

"Nooooo… He's not El's friend, not his cousin, not his son…"

"Then what--"

"Amy," said Tails. "He _is_ El."

There was a bit of a silence. Amy had frozen completely. She thought she had not heard right. She couldn't say anything to that, for she didn't even understand what Tails meant. It was the last thing she expected to hear, so she thought there must be some kind of explanation.

"WHAT?" she asked loudly with a small chuckle, her head slightly bent. Surely Tails had been joking or speaking figuratively.

"What," said Tails.

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait. What did you just say? I don't understand."

"About that 'gardener'? Exactly what I meant, that guy is El. They're the same person."

Amy felt extremely tense. She put her hands down, her arms straight. She waited a few seconds, her eyes moving sideways. "No he isn't," she said firmly.

"He is," said Tails again.

"No. He can't be," Amy said curtly, very nervous.

"But Amy, there's only one person that lives in Borealis… There's El and no one else. He's the only Ambrosian that's still alive. I thought you knew that."

Amy gnawed her lip so strongly she almost bled it. She did remember now Sonic mentioning much earlier how there was currently only one Ambrosian left. But still, it didn't make sense at all.

"Tails, no. I don't believe you. Joey's not a great warrior. He's just this harmless little dude…"

Tails shook his head. "He's not harmless. He's really fast and strong, and his senses are really acute for some reason."

"But that can't be him…" Amy said pleadingly. "Joey's not strong at all! He's not big and muscular, he's just this really short hedgehog…"

"He's a little blue hedgehog with a black quill on his back and missing his left eye, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"That's him alright. That's El. I've been fighting him for days, I know what he looks like. Didn't you see him when he fired at us this afternoon?"

Amy hadn't recognized Joey during the fight, but their attacker had been a mere silhouette in the distance. Upset, Amy felt her pain amplify at an alarming rate, especially when Tails uttered Joey's description. She was starting to realize Tails was completely right. She now remembered that though Joey's body was short and slim, it didn't mean his muscles were not developed. He could very possibly have great endurance and agility, and Amy had no evidence to prove Joey's senses were not unusually sharp. But she still couldn't accept what Tails was telling her.

"Tails, no. I mean, come on. You told me El was this complete jerk. He beat up Sonic, he gave you all of these bruises…"

"Yeah," said Tails bitterly. "I know."

"But Joey's not like that at all! Maybe he's a bit laconic and introverted, but he's really kind and gentle…"

"Oh my God," said Tails quickly, "if I hear one more time El is kind and gentle, I'm going to throw up."

"Tails!" Amy was starting to get angry. "Stop it! I'm talking about Joey, not El! And by the way, you're wrong, El's not the only Ambrosian left. I saw some others."

"What others?" asked Tails.

"Well, besides El and Joey… There's like, this wolf couple… Phil and Claire," Amy said. Her voice was high-pitched, but she tried to sound confident, having debunked her friend's argument. "Phil told me he was an Ambrosian!"

"Well, technically, he is… Ambrosia's a continent, so in a way, everyone on this continent is an Ambrosian. But these wolves are not what we refer to as 'Ambrosians,' I mean, they're not members of this old civilization. And I know El is friends with this tribe of wolves that lives on the west coast… Sometimes they come here because he trades with them… Some food, I think some marijuana too. And in return they help him maintain his base."

That explanation sounded rational (after all, Phil had been around to help Joey with the water supply and hadn't been seen since, and Joey had mentioned trading some of his crops), but Amy shook her head, still in complete denial. Her trusted friend simply couldn't be that ruthless Ambrosian warrior who had thrown Sonic in prison. "Don't you refer to Joey as 'El'!" she warned. "Because he's not!"

"Amy… We're going in circles. You need to believe me," he said pleadingly. "Your friend is not who you think he is. He's not kind and gentle, he's a liar, he's manipulative… He's manipulating you."

"No! That's not true," said Amy angrily.

Tails sighed. For the first time tonight, and much more so than on the previous days, he genuinely looked worried and preoccupied about Amy. "Amy, seriously. I don't want you to hang out with him. You're not the first one to fall into his trap."

"Yeah right," Amy said sullenly. "What would you know about that?"

"Because," said Tails firmly, "I've been here before. Last year. And there was a girl with us, Layla was her name, she was about your age, and she was also manipulated by him. Well, she's now dead."

At this last word Amy felt she was about to explode. She didn't believe a single word of what Tails was saying.

"Amy," Tails continued, "it really sounds like… like you've been charmed. I assure you… He's not selfless and disinterested. Everything he told you… his words, his demeanor… it's fake. He's trying to win your trust."

Amy listened in spite of herself, her expression hardening even more.

"But Amy, surely… Surely you must have noticed… Weren't there moments when he was too kind? Too nice? Are you sure he's wasn't faking?"

Amy wanted to say she was sure, but she couldn't deny she had been initially surprised when Joey forgave her instantly for stealing the key to the chamber containing the Ambrosian Files.

Tails obviously noticed Amy's doubt. "See? That's what I mean… He's trying to swindle you. Just like he did with… with…" He couldn't finish his sentence, but suddenly his eyes were alight. "Amy, El is a menace. I swear he's taking us to our graves." He was speaking passionately, his bitterness more evident with each word he uttered. "He's not just fighting us physically… He's using you to fight us… from the inside. Amy, you're in danger. You're completely vulnerable to him. If you want to be his friend… you'll be doomed. He'll turn on you. When he's done using you, God knows what will be your fate… He'll rape you, he'll --"

"Shut up!! Shut the hell up!! I don't wanna hear this anymore!!" Amy yelled, springing up suddenly. Past the breaking point, she was losing control. Every word she heard was a dagger tearing her soul apart. Tails backed off, surprised. Amy walked away slowly, until she fell over and lied on the ground, sobbing.

"Joey… how could you…"


	17. Oasis

**Oasis**

----

Bold and determined, Amy Rose ran on the barren field towards Borealis, impervious to the cold air of the morning breeze.

Still under the shock of discovering her trusted friend was a fearsome and ruthless warrior, Amy had endured a difficult night with little sleep and troubling dreams. She felt remorse at having yelled at Tails so harshly, but she couldn't help herself then. She had suddenly sensed the hypocrisy witnessed for so long at her school was emerging where she had least expected it: in the friends she thought were genuine. She hoped with all her heart it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding, but Tails' virulence had deeply struck her confidence with regards to the trust she felt towards all of her friends: Tails, Joey, and even Sonic.

Despite Tails' warnings, however, Amy had no intention to avoid Joey. She refused to believe right away the possibility that he could have lied to her all along, and that his honesty and simplicity had been just an act. Ever since meeting him, Amy had sensed an endearing innocence in Joey's character, as if his distance from civilization had protected him from the cultural corruption that she felt poisoned the minds and values of every living Mobian soul (except for her, Sonic, and Tails). Amy felt therefore compelled to rush to Borealis to confront Joey as soon as possible. In her mind she knew it could be dangerous, because she might face a transformation of her seemingly honest friend into the daunting menace described as El, but Amy listened to her heart, which irresistibly drew her towards the lone Ambrosian resident.

Amy knew where to search the base. Not caring to avoid being seen anymore, she marched towards the room with the monitors, deducing Joey was spending most of his time there in order to guard his turf from the impending invasion. If she failed to find him in that spot, she could always search near the pond, the greenhouse, or the cabin, which represented Joey's most likely current locations. Upon mounting the ladder to the control room, Amy realized her intuition had been correct; her friend was calmly sitting in front of the six monitors, serenely watching out for unwelcome intruders.

"Joey?"

Noticing her arrival, Joey faintly smiled at her and waited for her to step closer. "Hi, Amy. It's nice to see you."

"Hi," she said, smiling in spite of her previous thoughts. Although Joey didn't express any cheerful exuberance, as usual he looked quietly pleased to find himself in Amy's company. In addition to a feeling of flattery at Joey's heartening recognition of her existence, Amy simply couldn't ignore the warmth of his unadorned friendship. There was simply something natural to Joey that made her feel comfortable around him.

The sensation was such that she even temporarily forgot the suspicions that had been troubling her since her conversation with Tails the previous night. The two hedgehogs were standing rather close to one another, and Amy couldn't help wanting to hug him, just like the night when she had fled to his house after the attack on Tails' camp.

Amy actually forced herself to flee Joey's friendly gaze in order to regain the lucidity she needed to confront him. Her expression must have darkened considerably, because Joey then asked, "what's up?"

Amy sighed. In her heart she really didn't want to strain a friendship whose importance had blossomed much more than she had expected. Still avoiding Joey's eye, she finally went ahead with her intent.

"Joey, yesterday… I was talking to my friend." She closed her eyes for a second, at a loss to formulate her reservation. "He said… Well, he basically told me that you were…" Amy then caught Joey's eyes once more, and despite his attempt to hide it, she could tell he felt slightly apprehensive about her inquiry. However, Amy couldn't back off now. "He said you and El were like, the same guy. The guy he's been fighting the whole time."

Amy wasn't sure what to think, especially with regards to whether her choice to confront Joey was reckless or not. For all she knew, Joey could possibly materialize in a second into a cunning and dangerous rogue in response to her misgiving about him.

"Well, yeah." Joey's response was not really what she had expected. Instead of being surprised, angry, or dejected, he simply gave a slight frown, which was less a proof of an annoyance at her suspicion than an indication of his incomprehension. "I thought you knew that."

Not knowing how to take his reaction, Amy just turned sideways and leaned against the wall. "No Joey, I didn't realize that," she said, dispirited. She let herself dully slide down until she was in a sitting position.

Joey took a seat beside her. "Amy… Why is it a problem?" he asked softly.

Amy sighed. "It just feels a bit weird. I always heard about this El dude and about how he was supposed to be a big jerk. Not that you're a jerk," she added very quickly, catching herself, "you're the nicest guy ever and I like you a lot. But I just didn't know you were that same guy."

Joey thought for a second. "Does it really change anything? I don't have split-personalities, I'm the same person."

Although Joey's response sounded reasonable and thoughtful, Amy still felt ambivalent about what she had discovered last night. "But Joey… Yesterday I asked you if you thought El could beat Knuckles and his gang." She paused momentarily. "I guess you thought I was being witty or something." They both chuckled lightly, which was salutary given the seriousness of their discussion. "I'm sorry. It just feels weird, when I found out I really didn't expect it. And like, it's hard, because you're fighting my friends all the time… and you opened fire on me, too…"

Joey looked aghast at Amy's accusation. "No, no, I didn't. I didn't do that. I wouldn't ever do that."

Amy frowned in response. "Joey, yesterday you fired a rocket or something. We were running away from you."

Joey shook his head, dismayed. "I fired below you. I swear. If I had wanted to hit you" – Joey winced when voicing this thought – "you wouldn't be here. Really, you were safe. I never miss my target."

Amy opened her eyes wide, because Joey had just openly admitted he had been the one using that rocket launcher yesterday.

Joey looked truly saddened at Amy's reaction. Failing to meet her accusatory gaze, he added: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that you thought I was…" He had trouble finding his words, destabilized by the magnitude of the offense Amy seemed to perceive. "You need to believe me. I didn't want to hurt you. I swear it would never have touched you."

"But Joey… I don't understand… Why did you fire in the first place?"

"I was letting you go," he said desolately. "I ended up noticing you were there with your friend, so I let you two escape. I just fired because your friend could have been suspicious, he would have figured out we were friends."

Amy frowned again, although she felt sorry about Joey's sadness on her account. "Joey, why shouldn't Tails – I mean, my friend – know we're friends?"

Joey sighed. "He doesn't like me very much."

"Is it because of that girl from last year?"

Again, Joey seemed downcast. He understood Tails now knew of their friendship and had probably tried to keep it from continuing. "Maybe," he said vaguely.

"Joey… I need to know, please. Who was this girl? Layla, right?"

"Yes. That was her name. She was this old girlfriend I had." At these words Joey just stared into space, still sitting against the wall. "Anyway, she's dead."

Amy felt guilty for bringing up such a painful subject, but had to figure out what had happened. "How did she die?"

"She committed suicide," he sadly declared. Turning to Amy, he said, "please don't kill yourself. That's the last thing I want. It was the most painful thing that's happened to me. I want you to live and to stop being lonely," he said, referring to her long exile.

"Joey, I still don't understand… What is it you want from me?" Amy immediately regretted asking this question, though. She liked Joey, she trusted him, and she was still grateful for his friendship, his help, and especially his forgiveness of her betrayal.

"I want us to be friends."

At these words, Amy smiled as a rush of emotion flowed through her body. Though the two hedgehogs were not looking at one another, still sitting next to each other against the wall, Amy was especially endeared at the simplicity of her friend's inclination. Very naturally, their hands found and grasped one another in a gesture of genuine friendship.

This tender moment lasted a while. Despite the cold and austere setting of the old and dilapidated building they were in, it was an instant of peace and fellowship, punctuated only by the inflexions of the grip of their hands holding one another.

"I don't want you to have to choose between your friends and me," Joey said finally.

Amy wasn't sure what to think. In Joey's presence, it was difficult to assess the situation with a clear mind and take into account the reservations she had felt last night, such as the knowledge that El had imprisoned Sonic. "I don't know. I have to figure it out. I mean, I do want to hang out with you, very much. I'm just a bit confused about everything, especially because of these guys from the Floating Island who want to attack us…" When voicing this thought, she found herself holding Joey's hand tighter, realizing his solidarity was even more precious in the face of this lethal threat.

"They won't defeat me," Joey said determinedly. "You'll see. When they come, I'll just fight them off and they'll leave."

"When do you think they'll be here? They should be coming soon, I think…" Amy still remembered the comments of the Captain about how Slug was supposed to arrive "in less than three days," which meant he could be here as early as this afternoon.

"Today, probably. They just sent a few scouts late yesterday, but I held my ground." Considering the situation, he added: "they'll send a lot more people today. Maybe their leader will come too. The red echidna."

"Right. His name's Knuckles." Of course, Amy didn't care that Knuckles was coming (although she wasn't sure he would recognize her if they met), because she was much more concerned with avoiding Slug.

Relieved by the optimistic outcome of their confrontation, Amy and Joey didn't bring up the subject of their fragile friendship anymore. They spent the day together, staying mostly around the rooms with the monitors and occasionally mounting the ladder all the way to the roof, in order to survey the area as much as possible and anticipate its penetration by the Islander forces. Though they were deep within the base and Amy analyzed that it could be difficult to notice intrusion, Joey seemed satisfied with this vantage point.

At one point they briefly saw Tails show up on one of the monitors, but Joey didn't react. Amy was glad Joey wasn't currently interested in fighting him, for it was always painful to see two friends of hers attack each other. She still felt concerned about Tails though; if Borealis was soon to be infested by the Islanders, he could get in trouble with them too. However, she didn't want to ask Joey for his help, because of the mutual animosity between the two, especially the grudge that Tails seemed to hold against Joey.

"Everything's so silent…" commented Amy, observing the apparent tranquility of their surroundings. "I guess it's the calm before the storm." At this point they were both sitting next to each other on the edge of the roof, vulnerable to the cool Ambrosian winds.

Amy suddenly noticed Joey sitting up a bit straighter. "What's up? Did you see something?"

Joey nodded. "They're entering the base."

On alert, Amy sighted carefully but quickly the various buildings scattered in front of her. "I don't see anything."

"I have good vision," Joey explained, his determination now apparent. "Come on."

The two hedgehogs promptly got to their feet, and Amy followed Joey as he darted towards the ladder that led out of the roof. As she realized neither Joey nor Sonic and Tails had been clear about what she should do with regards to the Islanders, Amy suddenly felt a high wave of nervousness spread through her body. With the Islander menace now imminent, things were probably about to get very, very dangerous.

----

If you're interested, I have this very old drawing of Joey made by my friend Neon Dragon for what was then the prototype (or early incarnation, rather) of the story. www . geocities . com / alesi22 / Joey1 . jpg

Once again just delete all the spaces to load the picture.

Thanks for reading this chapter, please review if you wish to. Peace.


	18. Eyes Meeting

**Eyes Meeting**

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Amy soon realized she was hardly keeping up with Joey. She ran as fast as she could, but Joey was almost literally flying, speeding past the piles of junk and the various buildings. Amy knew he was heading for the edge of the base to fend off those who had just intruded, but its perimeter was so long she couldn't know exactly where Joey was planning to confront them. "Joey, wait up!" she called out, but it was no use. Very soon, he was out of her sight, and she had no idea what direction he had taken.

Amy stopped for a second to catch her breath. Panting against a wall, she found herself in between two rather low edifices. Despite Joey's excitement, Amy wondered about the Islanders' presence. The air around her was still cold and peaceful, and were it not for Joey's rush, she would never have guessed an imminent showdown with the invaders.

However, Amy very soon distinguished a silhouette upon the roof of one of the two structures. She first assumed it was Joey, but tensed immediately as she realized it was a stranger, a dark echidna moving vigilantly about the roof. Amy immediately understood  
he was an Islander, which also accounted for his affiliation to Knuckles' species.

Amy knew she had to slip out as soon as possible: it was not in her interest to face a soldier of the Floating Island at this point. Running back whence she had arrived, she moved carefully as to stay out of sight as much as possible, making good use of the practice she had acquired the previous days when trying to meet Sonic in his prison. However, it wasn't long before she spotted two other troopers.

The Islanders' proliferation had a strong psychological impact on Amy, because they outlined their impressive strength in manpower. Amy ran away again, still unsure about what she was supposed to do. She felt very out of place, because Joey had disappeared and she was finding herself in a terrain dangerously infested by those she wished to avoid. Catching her breath once more, Amy hoped she had managed to create a buffer of a distance between her and her enemies.

However, that hope was very suddenly cut short when she felt someone unexpectedly seize her from behind. Her attacker had managed to simultaneously hold her body and arms with one hand and cover her mouth with the other, in order to neutralize and silence her instantaneously. Amy didn't have time to feel any anxiety; her attacked flung her around very quickly and she instantly recognized him: it was none other than Sonic!

Surprised, Amy was immediately released when Sonic realized she had acknowledged him. He motioned for her to stay silent. They were hiding behind a corner of a building; Sonic glanced past it to make sure anyone wasn't coming. Amy observed her crush: she felt sad to conclude that despite his freedom, he had not improved much since she had seen him three days ago. He was still haggard and dirty, and looked like he had not eaten anything for days, which was very probable since as far as she knew, he had never made it back to either of Tails' camps. She had no idea where the heck he had been, where he had slept, whether he had eaten, whether he was ill or not. Most of all though, Sonic looked very stressed out.

"Come on, let's go," he said quickly, not looking at her. Not wanting to delay his speed, he actually grabbed Amy's hand and flew past the corner, quickly making his way through that part of the base. They soon reached the edge of a taller and wider structure, which Amy noticed was one of the only buildings made of plaster. A set of rusty rungs was attached to its wall; letting go of Amy's hand, Sonic climbed them as fast as he could. Amy quickly followed suit and they stepped on the roof, which provided a temporary shelter since its edges rose two feet above the floor. In addition it was a good vantage point, since it was located rather close to the edge of Borealis and thus provided a view of the field and of any incoming invaders.

Dying to know what had happened to him, Amy turned to Sonic. His expression wasn't reassuring, though; in fact, he looked rather angry. "Sonic?"

"Amy, what are you doing here?"

Surprised by his brusque query, Amy was at a loss for words. "I, er, I was just…"

"Why are you here?" he interrupted. "What is it you're trying to do?"

Again, Amy couldn't reply to that, for Sonic's aggressive inquiry only confirmed her feeling that she was out of place.

"Please, explain yourself. I'm in a bit of a hurry," Sonic said impatiently.

"I'm just trying to help out!" she blurted out thoughtlessly. "I just want to help you, Sonic, I mean, you look awful, I want to take care of you… You look like you need to rest…"

Sonic briefly closed his eyes in frustration. "Amy, I'm sorry, but you are completely clueless. If you think I need you to help out, you're wrong." Amy was surprised at his unnatural vehemence, which only seemed supported by the stress and fatigue he was dealing with. "Do you at least know why I haven't been sleeping? In case you didn't know, they burned all of my stuff the other night… The tent, the food… All the information I had concerning the Ambrosian Files… These plans and notes I had from Eggman…" Sonic seemed to almost forget Amy's presence as he enumerated his disastrous losses to his rival Knuckles. When he acknowledged her again, it was only to express his anger by laying the blame where it belonged. "Amy, you were supposed to protect that stuff! It was really important! Because of you, they also found the map you left, it was marked with Tails' camp and they raided it too! What were you thinking?"

Amy was speechless. She had always feared Sonic's reaction at the loss of his resources and her role in it, but the effect of his anger was still stunning, especially because Sonic's first presence in three days was so sudden. "What do you want me to do?" she finally managed to ask.

Sonic wasn't sure what to answer at first. It was a complicated situation in which Amy turned out to be a liability above anything else. "You need to leave somehow. Just ask one of these soldiers to take you to Knuckles."

"No, no, I can't do that," Amy replied automatically. "I don't want to have anything to do with them."

Unfortunately, her firmness only had the effect of increasing Sonic's impatience. "Amy, you can't tag along with us! Tails is already giving me all these problems, I don't want to have to put up with your selfishness on top of that," he snapped, barely controlling himself.

"No Sonic, you can't do this to me! Why do you hate me so?"

Sonic sighed at Amy's unjust accusation. Not knowing what to do, he just walked past her to the edge of the roof to quickly make sure the Islanders hadn't progressed this far yet. After a few seconds of scrutiny, he briefly paled.

"Oh darn… he's here," he said tensely.

"Who is?"

"That mercenary I told you about… Slug."

Amy froze in fear as she heard the name and spotted the warrior at exactly the same time. Vigilant but determined, the brown mongoose could now be seen in the distance, having at last arrived in Borealis. Though still many yards away, one could easily distinguish his concentration as he carefully moved about the base, hunting for his unfortunate prey.

This was the first time Amy had ever seen Slug ever since she had stolen his money, and the experience gave her a sudden shock. Amy immediately felt a deep, oily anguish spread to every part of her body, immobilizing her as if her blood had turned into lead. Paralyzed by this sight, she was for once incapable of effectively reacting.

In this precarious state, Amy barely heard Sonic as he quickly told her: "gotta juice. Slug's after me too. Amy, just find an Islander and ask to see Knuckles. Maybe we'll meet again in a few months." Before Amy could react, Sonic ran off in the opposite direction to get away from Slug.

Seconds later, Sonic's words registered in Amy's mind. Suddenly understanding he was leaving for good, she turned to try and stop him, only to realize he was already a few yards ahead and had no intention of turning back. She started running as well in the same direction, both pursuing her love in front of her and fleeing her doom behind her.

"Sonic! Wait! Wait for me!" Amy was desperate, for she knew her call was in vain. She had just found Sonic for the first time in days, and he was already gone, wanting to be rid of her. Overwhelmed by despair, Amy stumbled in her precipitation. With or without Sonic's help, she knew she had to flee, but for a brief second she stayed static, cursing everything that had to do with her: Sonic, Slug, and most of all herself.

Although she felt her hopes had symbolically faded along with Sonic's irreversible departure, Amy looked ahead once again, just to make sure…

Amy gasped in surprise; Sonic had not vanished after all. There he was, still a few yards ahead, but he had stopped running and was now looking at her strangely.

Despite the distance between the two of them, they intensely stared at each other, their eyes locked on one another. In Sonic's, Amy could see his stress, his anger, his fatigue, but also a suddenly different interest in her, as if he were re-evaluating her. In Amy's was expressed the intense anxiety associated with her phobia of the dangerous mercenary. In her eyes was not selfishness, but rather a deeply genuine fear that Sonic had long ignored, but that was now more evident than ever, coinciding with Slug's arrival.

Finally, Sonic motioned for Amy to join him. Relieved, Amy picked up speed and quickly caught up; Sonic instantly grabbed her hand and sped throughout the base with her in tow, caring to create a safer distance between them and the Islanders. In a few minutes, they were reasonably out of Slug's reach.

----

The two hedgehogs fled all the way to the other extremity of Borealis, stopping just past the very last hangar that composed the base's perimeter. The barren and immovable terrain lying in front of them contributed to an austere atmosphere, free from the violence that heated the other side of the ghost town. Settling between the hangar's wall and a pile of scrap metal, Sonic turned to Amy for explanations.

"Okay Amy, uh… There's something I'm missing here." He paused for a second, before asking: "have you, um, met Slug before or something?"

Amy had seen this coming. After dismissing her as an immature groupie, Sonic had just come back on his judgment when he had noticed her eyes were genuine and guessed something was horribly wrong with her situation. She was relieved at his recognition of her distress, but internally twitched at the prospect of explaining her questionable deeds to him. Ever since their first meeting after her exile, Amy had been intent on keeping from him her thievery, and especially wanted to conceal its reason, which was nothing less than her desire to catch up with him whatever the cost.

"Yes. Yes I have," she said solemnly. She could not turn back now; she only hoped their exchange would not lead to an awkward admission of her romantic inclination for him.

"Why don't you tell me?"

Amy made a final effort to overcome her reluctance. Sonic had just given her the benefit of the doubt, and obstinately hiding her secret would only serve to heighten the incomprehension between the two hedgehogs. "Look, Slug hired me to work on his ship a while ago. I didn't know who he was," she babbled, noticing Sonic's surprise. "I totally didn't know he was this mercenary. I thought he was just a regular guy. We just met one day and he needed someone on his ship. Well, anyway…" Amy sighed. "He hates me now. He wants to kill me. I have to avoid him at all costs. Sonic, I can't go to Knuckles' camp. I swear I'll get killed if I do."

Though not skeptical, Sonic was still confused. "Amy, why does Slug hate you? What did you do?"

"Sonic, I… I basically…" She hesitated again. "Look, I needed money really badly. And he had all this dough on his ship. I took some of it and split."

"You _what_? You stole Slug's money?"

"Yes!" she pleaded. "Yes, I did. I'm sorry! Maybe I shouldn't have done it. But he had so much of it, and I really needed it, much more than he did. It was just lying in his office, it's not like he really uses it," she said hastily, doing her best to rationalize her decision.

"Whoa, hold on, I…" Sonic then chuckled, ironically amused at her frenzy to justify herself. "I wasn't judging you, Amy. I was just surprised. It's not everyday you hear someone actually dared to take Slug's money, of all people."

Deep down, Amy was highly relieved by Sonic's reaction. Instead of scolding her for the immorality of her act, he seemed more compassionate than anything. "Well, now you understand why I can't go to Knuckles."

Sonic scratched his forehead. "I guess… I mean, yes, I understand. I agree. I've never met Slug, but from what I know, you would probably want to avoid him," he concurred. "Well, does he know what you did?"

"Yes, yes," Amy said right away. "I saw his wife the other day. She beat me up and threatened me. They figured it out."

"Oh yeah, Slug's wife… Anna or something, right?"

"Yeah. Anya, actually." Amy remembered the powerful woman's contempt towards her. "She's horrible. And she stole…" All of a sudden, she recalled the key to the chamber and its crucial importance to Sonic's mission. "Sonic! The key! She took the Blythe key from me!" Amy had completely forgotten about it since the previous night, because Joey's identity and the coming of the Islanders had dominated her thoughts so much. She was also glad to change the subject; she wasn't interested in dwelling on the weighty topic of her trek to Ambrosia.

Sonic opened his eyes wide. "You found the key to the Ambrosian Files? You're kidding!"

"No no no, I swear, I had it! But Anya took it from me… I'm sorry," she said, downcast. "She was really powerful, I tried to fight her, but --"

"Don't mind that," said Sonic. "Wow, I'm so, uh… Well, I'm surprised you found it. I didn't think you would. It could have been anywhere, really."

For the first time since Sonic showed up this afternoon, Amy smiled. It seemed as if he had just acquired a respect for her that he hadn't expressed in six years, because it certainly sounded like he had been about to say he was "so impressed" before catching himself. "Thanks… But they have it now. When she took it she said something about how she was going to give it to Knuckles."

"Okay… Wow. This changes everything. I had no idea where it was." Sonic actually looked pleased at this turn of events. "Amy, you called it the Blythe key or something?"

"Yeah. Blythe. It was engraved on it. A bunch of letters that spelled Blythe. I don't know what it means."

"That's it then," Sonic said with a cool look of triumph, briefly forgetting Amy's presence. "Blythe was their priestess from a thousand years ago. She's supposed to have sealed the scrolls. I think she forged the key, too." He turned to Amy again, a curious frown on his face. "Where was it, by the way?"

"At Joey's – I mean, at El's place," Amy explained proudly. "He has this cabin somewhere in the forest. It was in one of his drawers."

"Okay – speaking of which, I heard that you, uh…" He looked a bit uncomfortable, as always when confronting a friend. "I met Tails a bit earlier today."

Amy wasn't sure of Sonic's intent. "What'd he say?"

"He said something about you making friends with El…"

Amy tensed again at the mention of another sensitive topic.

"What happened?" Sonic insisted. "How come you --"

"Oh my God Sonic, I'm so sorry. I mean I know he beat you up and everything." Amy wasn't sure how to rationalize her friendship with Joey, especially since it was so sincere. "I can't really explain it. I didn't know he was El for a long time. And he welcomed me after we were attacked by the Islanders… Sonic, I had nowhere else to go!" she said ardently. "These goons were kidnapping us! And they're with Slug! I had to find help somewhere…"

"Okay… But are you, uh, friends with him?" Sonic wasn't judging her, rather expressing worry at her situation.

"Kind of… He's like, a really nice guy…" Not sure how that comment came out, she added right away: "I mean that's how he sounds. I know he locked you in that horrible cell, which wasn't cool at all."

"Amy," Sonic said seriously, "are you still seeing him?"

"Whoa whoa, hold on, I'm not, uh, 'seeing' him. I mean I still hang out with him. But it's not like we're dating or anything." Amy was intrigued by the way Sonic voiced his objection; of course, Sonic had not meant to imply an eventual romantic relationship between Amy and El, but it didn't prevent her from interpreting it as such.

"Amy, I don't think you should be friends with him. He's dangerous. He knows you're with us. Please, could you just avoid him from now on?"

Fully recovered from the shock of Sonic's earlier anger, Amy was now galvanized by having both aroused his concern for her and impressed him with finding the Blythe key. "Hmmm, it sounds to me like you might be a bit jealous, Sonic," she said boldly, with a sly smile.

Sonic wasn't amused. "Amy, I'm serious. You're playing with fire. You don't know anything about this guy. He might be using you."

"I guess… But, he really helped me. I feel bad to just ignore him from now on."

"Please," insisted Sonic. "Just avoid him completely. If not for you, then do it for me."

Wholly under the spell of her affinity for the blue blur, Amy tried her best to keep from blushing. She was powerless to dismiss a request by Sonic phrased in such a way. "Sure," she beamed, "if that's what you want. I'll stop seeing him, just for you. I don't have to hang out with that guy, I already have you. I mean, you and Tails, heh heh," she said all at once, a bit overexcited. Amy felt she could easily forego her friendship with Joey; Sonic was all that mattered now. She was captivated by his presence, to a point where she was on the verge of recklessly seizing her hero to kiss him.

Fortunately for Sonic, their (still) verbal exchange was interrupted when they suddenly heard very faint shouts coming from the grounds they had fled a few moments ago. They both turned in that direction, but couldn't make out anyone due to the distance and to the various obstacles scattered around the base.

"The Islanders," Sonic uttered, pointing out the obvious.

"Are they trying to fight El?" Amy remembered how Joey had rushed to meet the intruders.

"Yeah. Mostly. They're also trying to find me, I think."

At those words Amy looked to Sonic once more. "What will you do?"

Taking an instant to think it through, he replied: "I have to find Knuckles again and take the Blythe key from him."

Amy noticed how Sonic mentioned finding Knuckles "again." "Sonic, did you see Knuckles while you were gone? And for that matter… where were you this whole time? I was really worried about you…"

"I was looking for Knuckles. When the Alpha Unit – you know, these guys from the Floating Island --"

"I know those guys," Amy said quickly. "They attacked us."

"Right, that's right. After they destroyed my stuff, I wanted to find Knuckles to tell him to stop these gay scorched-earth tactics. It's not fair."

"Did you find him?" she asked, ignoring Sonic's politically incorrect comment.

"Yeah, I mean, eventually… It took me a while, I kind of got lost in the forest, and then it was hard to approach him, 'cause they brought so many people and I sort of wanted to meet him in secret…"

Amy could not help but giggle. The phrase Sonic had used seemed to imply some kind of forbidden romance.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing, nothing," chuckled Amy, not wanting to arouse Sonic's irritation. She knew his rivalry with Knuckles could be a touchy subject, and to ridicule it was out of the question. "So, what happened? Did you talk to him? Or did you fight?"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ we fought. We always fight. What a bonehead. Honestly, you'd think that moron would at least have _something_ in that huge ugly head of his." Sonic looked down in disappointment. "I guess maybe I could've been a bit nicer…"

Amy suppressed a laugh. "Diplomacy" was probably not a part of Sonic's vocabulary. "Well, it was obvious your meeting wouldn't amount to anything constructive," she said wisely.

"I guess. But he's not being fair," he whined.

Amy could definitely sense Sonic's ego emerging once again. Losing something to Knuckles would shatter his self-respect, even if he would never admit it outright. Though she disapproved of Sonic's attitude, it outlined an insecurity that attracted her. Amy wanted to be the one to support Sonic where he was most vulnerable; she felt it was as crucial part of what she perceived as their growing relationship.

"Listen Amy, I'm going to find Tails and we're going to follow those guys to their camp, and then I'll nab the key from Knuckles. You should probably wait for us at Tails' new camp. You know where it is, right?"

Amy nodded. "I was there last night. But isn't there something you want me to do?"

"Yeah. Just gather Tails' stuff, so that when we show up with the Ambrosian Files, we can pack up really quickly and take off. You need to be ready because we might have a whole army chasing us…" Sonic grinned, because it was a quite ridiculous image. Amy deduced his pleasure at the prospect of insolently outrunning a whole crack force commanded by his rival. Knuckles would never hear the end of it.

"Sonic," Amy said calmly, "please listen to me. I think we should go back to our camp together tonight. I'm serious, you really don't look well."

Sonic said nothing; he just looked slightly embarrassed.

"I mean, look at you! It's obvious you really need to rest… I'll take care of you, you'll be fine with me around. I'll watch out to see if anyone's coming. I'll find you some food, put you to sleep… watch over you…"

Amy was definitely getting carried away, and Sonic instinctively took a step back. Any discussion that outlined his vulnerability made him uncomfortable, and he probably wasn't eager at the thought of Amy constantly mothering him. For all he knew, Amy might have the intention to sing lullabies (off-key) to put him to sleep. "Uh, no thanks, it's okay," he said nervously. "I'm fine. I just want to find Tails, snatch the key from Knux, grab the scrolls, and take off. I need you to be ready. Maybe tonight you could practice breaking down the tent, since you already know how to set it back up."

Amy crossed her arms, her arrogance back. "Okay, so you don't want my help. Fine, I'll just wait for you at the camp while you get yourself captured. Whatever."

"Amy, please. It's better this way. Trust me, I'll never get captured. And now you're sure to avoid Slug. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Amy let her arms down immediately. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry."

"Well, I should go… I should find Tails… If you see him before leaving Borealis, let him know I'm looking for him."

"Is there something wrong with Tails?" Amy had noticed a subtle but definite expression of contained annoyance on Sonic's face.

Sonic shook his head out of exasperation. "Tails has gone crazy. For some reason he's completely obsessed with fighting El all the time regardless of everything else. He's totally out of his mind. It's like he doesn't care about this mission at all." He sighed. "I was afraid this would happen. I should have tried to prevent it, but I didn't think it would be so serious."

Amy suddenly recalled the virulence of Tails' attitude last night, as well as Joey's comments from this morning. "Sonic, last night Tails said he came here a year ago. He said something about a girl named Layla who died. Maybe they were dating or something," Amy suggested, always quick to jump to conclusions whenever a romance was implied.

"I don't know what happened exactly," Sonic replied. "I know last year the Republic sent this diplomat here to establish relations with El. For his security they also sent his daughter, Layla, who was training to be an agent, and I suggested Tails go with them as well. I wanted him to get some practice on a mission without me." Sonic's tone darkened slightly. "Well, the mission was a failure because Layla died mysteriously. The government didn't really give a damn because we didn't know about the Ambrosian Files back then. But Tails… I noticed he was a bit strange for a few weeks. I don't know how serious his friendship with that girl was… or whether it was more than a friendship. He always kept quiet about it. I should've guessed it was important, because Tails usually tells me everything."

Amy remembered well how Tails had always looked up to Sonic as an older best friend, sometimes even as an older brother. In his correspondence with Amy, Tails constantly expressed his admiration for Sonic, which sometimes seemed foolish since Sonic was not always that interested (he would rather run around). If Sonic had failed to listen to his story, he probably had lacked an outlet to express his sadness and had kept his anger inside until fighting El this week.

"I just need to talk to him again," Sonic concluded. "Well, I should go. I have to find him and go back to the battle so I can follow the Islanders to their camp and snatch that key."

Before Sonic could leave however, Amy embraced him, invigorated by their reconciliation. "Be careful, Sonic."

"Um, sure," he replied, twitching. "I'll see you soon."

With that, he quickly sped away and vanished out of her sight.


	19. The Beast Within

**The Beast Within**

----

Amy leaped in joy, unable to control her emotion. She was completely ecstatic at her reconciliation with Sonic. It was as if she had fulfilled a moment she had for six years been waiting for. Sonic was not her boyfriend (yet), but he had finally acknowledged and accepted her as a friend. It went further than that, because Amy felt she was taking back her place within his team, proving to be a real asset by participating significantly in his endeavor. Although the completion of her reintegration would take time, Amy felt she had achieved a significant step. She could now see in the horizon the eventual achievement of her dream: the realization of the Sonic the Hedgehog crack force, headed by the fearsome Sonic/Amy couple.

Amy was glad Sonic had not judged her for her theft. Even though her remorse at her act only lied with its recklessness and had nothing to do with her ethics – as far as she was concerned, her moral claim to this money was much superior than Slug's, who had acquired it questionably given the nature of his profession – Amy had always worried about Sonic's reaction, especially given her motive. She had finally managed to communicate to Sonic her phobia without revealing the real reason behind its creation.

Respecting her wish to avoid Slug, Sonic had asked her to wait for the duo of heroes at Tails' new camp and prepare their escape. While Amy normally would have been disappointed at a seemingly marginal task, she was in fact grateful for it – she wouldn't fear a face-off with Slug anymore, yet this role was still valuable in the context of the mission.

However, when Amy started her path towards Tails' camp, she quickly remembered she was leaving something behind… Joey. She was supposed to avoid him from now on, and although she liked the sympathetic Ambrosian youth, there was no question she would choose Sonic and Tails over him. Amy could not help feel pained at the thought of abandoning Joey's friendship for good, but she did her best to shrug it off, for in her mind that friendship wouldn't compare to the chance she now had to achieve her ultimate goal.

Even so, Amy soon changed direction – she liked Joey enough to at least have the respect to tell him good-bye. She needed to reassure him, tell him it wasn't his fault but hers, and thank him for the help and friendship he had given her these past few days. She felt apprehensive about confronting his probable dismay, but it was better than living with the knowledge of Joey's incomprehension at her failure to show up at all.

Since the evening was at hand, Amy opted to meet Joey at his cabin: he would soon return, and it was a safer meeting place than Borealis, not only because of the danger the base represented, but also because of the possibility they would miss each other in that huge maze. Quickly reaching the edge of the forest, Amy followed it in the direction of Joey's shack, caring to hide her figure between a line of trees as she did so.

After a good while she finally reached it. It was still the same as during her two previous visits, save for Joey's absence. Amy knew he was probably delayed by the fight with the Islanders, but the confidence he had shown earlier with regards to his effort to hold them off eased any anxiety she might have felt for his well-being. Joey was bound to show up intact sooner or later; Amy patiently waited for his arrival.

About an hour later, Amy distinctly noticed the sound of footsteps approaching outside. She first thought of Joey, but she noticed the sounds were strangely uneven. Before she came to any conclusions, the door opened; it was indeed Joey, but his sight stupefied Amy.

"Joey?" She suddenly held her hand up to her mouth. "Oh my God."

Indeed, Joey was a wreck. Unlike the previous times Amy had seen him, Joey was not intact at all. Completely exhausted, he showed a number of injuries, two of them still bleeding, one on his forehead and another on his upper right arm. His bloody figure clumsily staggered across the room towards his armoire, reaching for a drawer where his first aid kit was located.

Amy had never imagined Joey in such a dreadful state before, and it pained her: even though she now knew he was a fearsome fighter, she could not evacuate the image of the delicate and vulnerable hedgehog boy, an image she had carried over from the initial understanding that he was just a young and innocuous gardener and not at all the Ambrosian leader. Once the shock had worn off, Amy rushed to meet her friend, wishing to help him. Turning to her, Joey practically fell in her arms out of mere exhaustion.

Summoning up her strength, Amy held Joey with one arm around his torso and the other below his knees and carried him to the other side of the room, before gently laying him down on his bed. She then rushed to the drawer he had indicated and snatched the first aid equipment from it.

Amy hastily proceeded to disinfect, clean up, and bandage his wounds (within the best of her meager knowledge of first aid), naturally showing the greatest care for her friend's recovery even if she was hardly conscious of it. During her labor she noticed Joey did not flinch or react even once as she cautiously handled his injuries, as if he were somehow impervious to pain. His apparent ability to withstand his suffering surprised Amy, because she knew his senses were very sharp.

Her work done, Amy put the kit away and returned to his bedside to contemplate the condition of her friend; as she watched him she was filled with sincere compassion. Leaning over him, she bent down slightly and tenderly held his cheeks with her two hands, before gently kissing his forehead where it was still intact.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, thank you," he said, his voice soft and weak.

"Are you sure? Don't you go fight tomorrow, by the way!"

"I'll be fine. Really. I'm not being brave. It's just a bruise, it'll be fine tomorrow or the next day. I'm just really tired, that's all. It was exhausting fighting this guy."

"How did it happen? Were you outnumbered?"

"I guess technically I was, but they were all scattered, so at first it was easy to surprise them. But then this other really powerful trooper showed up… this mean-looking mongoose…"

Amy froze. She just understood the exact reason for Joey's injuries. Of course. While she had been talking to Sonic, Joey and Slug had _faced off_.

Amy's initial reaction mirrored the state of mind she carried over from her global experience in Borealis. If anything, Joey's injuries served to substantiate the danger she faced. The possibility of a lethal confrontation with her enemy was becoming a reality she could now see with her own eyes. It was as if the harm just applied to Joey was foreshadowing a fragment of what could happen to her.

"We fought for a while… he was really strong," Joey continued. "I left the fight and continued to harass him and his team until they retreated."

Amy listened in silence, still taking in this reiteration of the menace that she faced. However, to see Joey hurt and to know Slug was the culprit also had an unforeseen effect on Amy. She couldn't explain why, but she definitely felt torn about seeing Joey enduring the beginnings of a violence that she had expected for her.

Could it be that she wished for Slug to unleash his wrath with Joey _in her stead_?

Amy felt both confused and ashamed by this thought, so she dismissed it; she figured it was irrelevant anyway, since she knew she was leaving Joey for good.

"Joey, I need to tell you something," she said uncomfortably, looking to the floor from Joey's bedside.

Joey just looked at her, his attention aroused, although he once again managed to keep his expression neutral.

"You know… this morning… we talked about my friend Tails and everything…" She closed her eyes briefly, still not daring to look at her friend. "And well… it's like… I shouldn't… Look, I'm not supposed to hang out with you. I don't think we should see each other anymore."

After a moment of silence, Amy finally turned to the blue hedgehog. To her sorrow, she very distinctly noticed that Joey was crushed, even if he seemed to be hiding his feelings as best he could, as if trying to avoid emotionally blackmailing her into going back on her decision. Amy was thankful for his efforts to not influence her through his disappointment, but his discretion made Amy's decision even more painful. She was renouncing the friendship of someone she perceived as honest, loving, and considerate of her, something she had missed so painfully during her exile and had come to believe was impossible.

"Joey, please let me explain," she started frantically, taking her eyes off him again, "I'm so sorry and I do think you're the coolest guy ever, but my friends – they're my two best friends and I've been separated from them for six years, I always wanted to see them again and now I finally found them, and --"

"Amy," Joey gently interrupted, "you don't have to explain. You've made your decision."

Amy wasn't sure if she was relieved by Joey's comment. There was no reprobation or frustration in his voice, but she felt he could see through her mind. He had just called her bluff: her explanations were unnecessary, since they could never hide the true nature of her act. Joey knew pertinently she was abandoning him, even if he apparently wasn't judging her. Amy felt for the first time the awesome nature of Joey's perceptiveness as well as his ability to control his emotions, though it didn't contradict his tolerance and altruism in any way.

"Joey, you don't need me. I'm a very confused person. You're better off with your other friends, Phil and Claire. They're still here, right?"

"They went back."

Amy felt even worse – she knew this meant Phil and Claire had gone home on the west coast of Ambrosia, hundreds of miles from Borealis. Without her, Joey would be completely alone, without anyone to give him company and love and to protect him from harm. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm so sorry. I gotta go. Please take care of yourself."

Amy quickly turned to Joey again and repeated her previous gesture: she bent down and kissed his forehead, although she multiplied her act at least thrice. Unable to face Joey anymore, Amy then got to her feet, grabbed her knapsack, and stormed out of the room. It was over. She would never see Joey again, ever.

Once she was outside and walking away determinedly from the cabin, Amy noticed she was near tears. She thought she understood her feeling of guilt, but its intensity confused her nonetheless; in addition, she realized she had gone as far as kissing on the forehead someone whose importance she thought could hardly compare to that of Sonic and Tails. This evening had been her triumph, considering what had happened with Sonic, and breaking off Joey's friendship was theoretically just a tiny obstacle in her path. In her mind, she was not supposed to let this matter overshadow her achievement, but in truth she was hardly controlling her emotion. Amy did her best to stamp out her sadness, deeming it as irrational.

Unable to shake her confusion out of her mind, Amy focused on reaching Tails' new camp. Her Ambrosian trek was almost over. As far as she was concerned, Borealis and Joey were now little more than a memory.

----

END OF PART TWO

----

Whoa, Amy's pretty weird, right? Do her choices make sense? What will happen to Joey? Will Sonic and Tails succeed? Will Knuckles and his force destroy everything in their path?

Part Two is over, but the story certainly isn't (it's a three-parter: Part 1 chapters 1-6, Part 2 chapters 7-19), even if Amy feels she's left Borealis for good. We're basically three-quarters of the way. While chapters 18 and 19 were something of a climax of Part Two, whether background (invasion by the Islanders and inconclusive Slug/El showdown) or pertaining to Amy (reconciliation with Sonic and abandonment of Joey), they're not at all the climax of the whole story. Part Three is meant to be pretty intense (although the readers will find whether its intensity is successful or not, naturally).

Although this isn't really necessary, I'd like to briefly enumerate the forces of the Floating Island involved in this operation, because there are a lot of characters, especially some outside characters (though mostly background), so maybe this will help out a bit if you're confused. Here goes:

- The Chaotix (Knuckles, Espio, Mighty, Charmy, Vector)

- Slug the Machine & Anya (a married couple of professional mercenaries)

- The Alpha Unit (elite crack force that belongs to the Floating Island; about 10 soldiers, under the leadership of the 'Captain')

- About 20 others Islander troops (including noncombatants such as drivers, medics, etc.).

The leaders of the operation are Knuckles of course, loose cannon Slug, and the Captain.

----

Also, if anyone's curious as to how the story is paced, you may be interested to know that the day that ends in chapter 19 was "day 8", meaning the eighth day since Amy's arrival in Borealis. Here's a little guide as to when each chapter happened:

Day 1 (Sonic and Amy arrive at the Borealis field in the afternoon): ch 6 (end), ch 7 (beginning)

Day 2: ch 7 (middle)

Day 3: ch 7 (middle to end), ch 8

Day 4: ch 9

Day 5: ch 10, ch 11 (night)

Day 6: ch 12, ch 13, ch 14 (night)

Day 7: ch 15, ch 16

Day 8: ch 17, ch 18, ch 19

----

Finally, here's a link to the Borealis map. It's amended with a bit more information, which I didn't put in the last map (in chapter 11) in order to avoid spoilers.

www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006mapofborealis2 . jpg

Again, just paste this link to your browser and delete all of the spaces next to the slashes and periods.


	20. To the Rescue

PART THREE

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Ch 20

**To the Rescue**

(Introduction to Part Three)

----

Impervious to the cold of the cloudy morning, Amy patiently sat on a log outside the tent, slowly sipping a cup of cold rainwater as if it were a mug of hot, black coffee. She wished it indeed _was_ coffee, but Sonic and Tails' portable stoves had been lost during the recent attacks by the Alpha Unit. Amy normally would have felt foolish for substituting cold H2O in its place, but no one was present to mock her anyway.

A full night had elapsed since Sonic had promised his imminent return, but he and Tails had still not shown up yet. Amy minded their absence, even if she wasn't surprised by it. Sonic's plan might take a bit longer to carry out than expected; if they were to steal the Blythe key from Knuckles before retrieving the Ambrosian Files, they would need a few hours to spy on the echidna and wait for the proper moment of the night when the five Chaotix might let down their guard. Furthermore, they could also be delayed by the need to avoid the Islanders' harassment the next day as they penetrated the chamber.

Naturally, Amy worried about their fate; a million things could go wrong with this crazy plan. Despite her trust in Sonic, she knew pertinently he was not always right and his endeavors could turn to disaster, as when he had impatiently rushed to Borealis eight days ago and was captured right away. When Amy would eventually integrate within the Sonic/Tails duo, she figured she would also act as the voice of reason – in addition to her fighting skills – to curtail what she perceived as Sonic's impetuosity and Tails' immaturity (however inaccurate this perception might be).

Even if its scope was rather limited, Amy still had a task assigned by her "leader" – she had to prepare the trio's escape from Borealis. She had nothing better to do anyway, so after "breakfast" (which consisted of rainwater and a few berries) she proceeded to practice breaking down the tent and setting it back up, in order to be ready to perform that feat in record time for her friends' arrival. Amy also packed up whatever remained of Tails' very few belongings salvaged after their disastrous surrender to the Alpha Unit three nights ago.

That preparation soon at an end, Amy had little choice but to linger in the hope that her friends were safe and successful in their search. She spent her time writing in her diary; adamant on hiding her fear of Slug even to her private journal, her prose rather consisted of her habitual fantasies about Sonic. This time, she also chose to draft an entry pertaining to Joey, describing him as a dear one-time confidant whose memory she would cherish despite the briefness of their former friendship.

Amy began to seriously worry when she realized the day was almost over and her friends were still missing. What if they had indeed run into trouble? Amy considered the thought of going back to Borealis... She might have to come rescue Sonic, remembering the excruciating and useless wait a week ago at her camp due to his capture. She didn't want to make the same mistake again – if she had to act, better sooner than later.

At first, Amy reacted strongly against this solution: in many regards, she didn't want to go back to Borealis at all. Due to yesterday's events, she naturally sensed the base to have become a poisonous terrain dangerously infested by a swarm of proliferating gangsters. Worse of all was the presence within that infection of her arch-enemy – Slug the Machine. Yesterday, Amy had actually seen him with her own eyes; not only that, but when tending Joey's wounds she had seen the beginnings of the damage he could inflict. This substantiation of the peril Amy faced had strongly affected her, as if her demise was irresistibly getting nearer.

In addition, Amy felt uncomfortable at the prospect of encountering Joey again – she didn't feel she could run up to him and ask for his help after having explicitly broken their friendship. In her mind, Joey was now a thing of the past; she had chosen Sonic and Tails. The reunion with the dynamic duo represented the key to her future; Joey had been a dear, helpful friend, but remained a relationship meant to be ephemeral. In truth, Amy used this rationalization of her choice to alleviate any guilt she might have felt about a rupture that left the Ambrosian alone and friendless.

Yet despite the many reservations Amy held about a quick return to Borealis, it soon became clear that it was the only path available to her. Sonic and Tails' failure to return necessarily meant they had run into trouble. To passively remain at the camp for her friends' increasingly improbable appearance would eventually drive her insane.

Still terrified at the possibility of running into her arch-enemy, Amy did her best to ignore it for the moment. Actually, Amy felt enormously insecure and ashamed at the paralyzing nature of her phobia. She cursed herself for what she perceived as unacceptable cowardice in the face of a threat, a feature that embarrassingly distinguished her from Sonic or Tails. Amy's wish to overcome her fear certainly contributed to her decision to return to Borealis; the fact that the threat was not immediate yet helped her to artificially disregard her reluctance.

Her anxiety thus rationalized and controlled for the time being, Amy decided she would give Sonic and Tails the night to come back before taking action (after all, they could reasonably be held up for a bit without actually being in trouble). If they still didn't show up by dawn, she would come to their aid without further hesitation. With that resolution, Amy drifted uneasily into sleep.

Daybreak came, waking Amy. Sonic and Tails' absence was confirmed.

Without a moment to lose, Amy grabbed her knapsack and darted towards to edge of the forest, intent on coming to the rescue.


	21. What You Wish For

**What You Wish For**

----

Although she had just crossed the perimeter of Borealis, Amy was soon at a loss as to how to proceed. The beginnings of her search for Sonic weren't exactly methodical, and Amy realized her endeavor was akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, the grounds seemed deserted: there was not a trace of any Islander. Amy wondered what could have happened: just two days ago, they were swarming all over the place. All that was left was the heartless sound of the wind rustling between the austere hangars.

To further her search, Amy decided she would use the control room, where the constantly active monitors would give her a better glimpse of the situation. On the way there, she however noticed a growing pain in her stomach. She was actually starving: the frugal meals from the previous day, not to mention her neglect to find any breakfast this morning, had left her stomach crying.

Amy opted for a stop at Joey's greenhouse; she didn't think he would mind if she innocuously grabbed some nourishment to ease her pain, and its location was not far from her destination anyway. Quickly finding her way to the small and somber staircase leading underground, she reached the greenhouse. She peeked around the various rows of crops, looking for something to satisfy her hunger.

All of a sudden she spotted Joey, busy with his watering can.

"Oy! Joey!"

Joey waved when he saw her. "Hi Amy, it's nice to see you."

"Thanks," she smiled, flattered.

"What's up?"

"I don't really know," she sighed. "I'm looking for my two friends, they seem to have disappeared. You haven't seen them have you?"

Joey shook his head.

"How are you?" she asked. "I'm glad to see you look a lot better than last time."

"Yes, I'm fine."

Indeed, the two bruises Joey had collected during his fight with Slug had mostly healed, which amazed Amy. Joey had been right: his feebleness from two days before had more been the cause of exhaustion rather than the seriousness of his injuries.

Although she didn't show it, Amy felt slightly confused about seeing Joey again. To her surprise, there was nothing awkward about their exchange: it was friendly as ever, as if their previous separation, which she had unilaterally decided, had had no effect whatsoever on their everyday rapport. She didn't know what to make of it, because in her mind, she had left Joey once and for all and wasn't supposed to see him anymore.

For his part, Joey seemed to mostly ignore their supposed rupture, treating Amy just as he had done the previous days. He soon offered his friend a quick bowl of green beans to ease her hunger before leading her back upstairs.

"It might get a little rough today, so maybe you should take this. It's fully loaded, by the way."

Amy opened her eyes wide as she saw Joey actually hand her an impressive-looking handgun. "Whoa. Are you sure I should have this?" Despite her feisty personality, Amy had usually disliked firearms and had recently confirmed that sentiment when she learned of Sonic's principled revulsion for them.

"Yes. I think they're sending all of their troops. It could come in handy. Do you know how it works?"

"Yeah, of course," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. "But, I don't really want to stick around and get killed," she added more modestly, trying to hide her shame due to the cowardice she perceived in herself.

Joey didn't respond. All of a sudden his concentration heightened and his body tensed.

"Joey, what's wrong?"

Joey looked very determined. "They're here."

Amy was bewildered. "How can you tell? Did you hear something?"

"Yes. Underground." He abruptly started running, just as he had done two days ago before meeting Slug. Amy tried to follow as best she could, but once again, Joey's pace was too quick. She saw him disappear through a door leading to another staircase.

Crossing the door as well, Amy entered a dark and dank empty basement, whose end was the access to a very long and equally somber corridor. Peeking, she made out a light at its farthest point, shadowed only by Joey's distant figure racing frantically to reach it. Amy followed him, although her pace wasn't convincing: she dreaded finding trouble at the other extremity of the passageway. Surely Joey had gone to fend off some Islanders, and Amy didn't wish to be involved in that conflict. Suddenly a faint cry of pain came from Joey's location; perhaps he had engaged the Islanders in battle. Amy strongly hoped Joey wasn't the one getting injured.

Amy nonetheless proceeded through the corridor, trotting silently at a moderate pace. She didn't hear any distinct sounds from her destination anymore; as she got closer, she moved even more silently, apprehensive of the spectacle that might await her. After a minute she almost reached the passage's end, the faint light from which increasingly cleared her path. Only a few steps away, she could now understand it opened up to a much larger room. Her prudence increased when she heard voices muttering, although she couldn't see any figures.

Calmly emerging on a steel platform from the corridor, Amy froze at one of the most upsetting sights she had ever faced.

The platform looked down on the room's floor about three meters below; on the platform, Amy could see Joey standing triumphantly and staring down at his defeated foes, who were caught on the floor of this strangely tall chamber. However, those foes, trapped indeed, surprised by the presence of the cunning denizen of Borealis, were not Islanders at all. Actually, they were the two familiar faces Amy had always loved and cherished: none other than Sonic and Tails...

In fact, the dynamic duo looked in utter distress. Sonic was the same as last time, haggard and weary; he was also expressing deep frustration and helplessness at his defeat. Tails, however, projected a even more disturbing picture. Like Sonic, he looked stressed and bitter, but he was sitting down against the wall and holding his right arm... it was bleeding. A knife soiled with red liquid lied on the floor next to him. Amy put two and two together: the cry she had heard a moment ago meant that Joey had thrown a knife at Tails, seriously injuring his arm and causing him deep pain.

Amy felt completely stunned. She stood as an observer of a dangerous conflict between the only three people that she cared about. On one side, Joey was in control of the situation, having just unleashed his awesome power to defeat his two enemies. On the other, Sonic and Tails were trapped and powerless, while Tails was even in deep physical pain from his wound. Joey wasn't actually armed, but a natural superiority seemed to emanate from his aura as the Ambrosian defender, while an exhausted Sonic was crippled by his sidekick's sudden injury.

Meanwhile, Amy stood on the periphery, anonymous and unseen. It dawned on her that she could make a difference, that she had the power to alter the outcome of the struggle; in her hand, she still held _Joey's_ _loaded pistol_.

No one actually seemed to notice and heed her. That is, except for Sonic, who shot a very quick glance in her direction, although he tried to pretend he had not seen her. Amy understood he expected her to do something.

Despite the extreme psychological effort this trial required of her, Amy's decision was made; it was not even a question in her mind. She had already left Joey two days ago; he was not supposed to be anything more than a memory, while her future could only lie with Sonic and Tails if she acted properly to assure it. The ball was in her court. This was nothing less than her rite of passage.

Meanwhile, Joey did finally notice Sonic's curious behavior; he quickly felt something was not right. Sensing the danger, he instinctively flung around.

It was too late. Just two yards away from him, Joey found a familiar pink hedgehog staring at him. But for the first time, her eyes were not friendly and protective, but determined and hostile.

Joey faced Amy Rose actually holding him at gunpoint.

"Joey. Don't move," Amy said very firmly. "Don't."

Frozen, Joey was staring blankly, seemingly unprepared for this turn of events, as if he were hit in the one and only weak spot in his armor.

"Amy, I don't think you wish to harm me," he said, though his voice sounded soft and hollow.

"Try me," she responded, dangerously unlocking the safety on her firearm. "I won't let you hurt my friends."

Joey shut up at that. He only stared acutely at Amy, his body tense, his eyes full of misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, Sonic had quickly mounted the ladder to the platform. Before joining Amy, he went into a spindash and sped in a ball towards Joey, instantly knocking him out.

It was over. Amy closed her eyes and slowly breathed out, trying to digest the magnitude of her act. Her choice was now fulfilled and irrevocable. Having never envisaged the possibility of needing to choose between Sonic and Joey so dramatically, she had been completely unprepared and had acted quickly and decisively; she had spontaneously gone with her most basic rationale, not fully knowing what was best.

When she opened her eyes, it was only to confirm the fruits of her achievement. Sonic was gratefully standing just in front of her, his eyes full of fatigue but also of relief. "Amy... you saved us. Thanks," he acknowledged.

Amy embraced him as a response. "I waited, Sonikku... You didn't come back, so I came to help, I thought you would be in trouble..."

"Well, we weren't... until a minute ago, when El surprised us. You showed up just in time," he said, though gently pushing her away (now was not the time for hugs and kisses, a practice to which he seemed allergic anyway, especially when Amy was involved). "We should get out of here." Walking up to the platform's rail, he called out to Tails. "Hey – can you come up?"

Though still in pain, Tails managed to get up and even activate his propeller. He certainly didn't wish for Sonic or anyone to carry him like he was a baby. His pace was slower than usual, but he soon was up on the platform next to his two friends. Sonic and Amy were full with concern for the kitsune because of his lesion, despite Tails' obvious embarrassment at his friends' parental expressions. "Sonic, let's just get out. Let's take care of that guy and leave."

Sonic frowned disapprovingly. "Don't get excited." He turned to Joey's limp body. "I don't know what we should do..."

"He cut my arm," added Tails bitterly.

"Tails, no." He stepped in front of his sidekick, blocking his view of the Ambrosian. "That's enough, Mr. Prower," he patronized, before gazing again at their foe. "I'll just tie him up and leave him. It should give us enough time for us to wrap it up before he frees himself."

Somewhat oblivious to the mysterious rancor between Sonic and Tails, Amy had taken a step back at this exchange. Though she didn't express it, she felt absolutely awful at her act, especially now that she could view the sight of Joey knocked out. She turned her head away when Sonic proceeded to firmly bind his arms and legs.

A minute later, Sonic was done. Amy could not help glancing at her ex-friend, who was slowly coming to, though still dizzy. Unable to move at all, he showed once again a very neutral expression, but Amy could tell he was dejected and jaded. Amy felt horrible at seeing him bound and helpless, vanquished because he had mistakenly trusted her. Behind Joey's seeming apathy, Amy even observed a few tears slowly running down his cheeks. Though it looked completely inconspicuous and certainly wasn't noticed at all by Sonic and Tails, it did affect Amy, because she now knew Joey well enough to understand he could usually control his emotions better than this. He actually looked up once at Amy, who shamefully evaded his gaze, unable to acknowledge the harm she had delivered to him.

For his part, Tails looked rather strange at the defeat of his enemy. It was rather unclear whether he enjoyed or not the contemplation of El tied up and powerless after days of futile conflict for revenge.

"Amy? Let's go," invited Sonic.

Amy very quickly joined her friends as the trio walked away from the Ambrosian leader. Amy did not look at Joey as she left him; she tried as best as she could to forget her act and to focus as much as possible on Sonic and Tails. She told herself she would pretend Joey had not even existed except as El, meaning as her friends' enemy.

The three warriors left the room through another dark passageway, Sonic leading his friends. In spite of his tiredness, the blue blur strode confidently, obviously familiar with this underground maze. Amy noticed how his determination contrasted with Tails' puzzlingly sullen demeanor – it reminded her of whenever he was grounded back in the day as a kid – which even overshadowed the pain he felt from his cut.

As for Amy, she forced herself to rejoice in her reunion with her friends and pretend she was invincible in their presence; they were now a trio whose members were theoretically solidary of one another. She especially relished the thought of being with Sonic again, although she wished they could leave this hateful place once and for all – Borealis made her more uncomfortable than ever before.

"Sonic, what should we do now? Can we leave Borealis?"

"Not yet. But we're almost out of time... I'll explain in a minute. We need to stop anyway, I have to tend Tails' arm." At this moment the passageway was marked by an opened gate of two heavy steel double doors; they looked like they hadn't moved in a few decades, and its hinges were so rusty they might as well not even have existed.

"Here we are."

They had just stepped into the place behind the gate: a large, rectangular room completely empty of any furniture or junk, unlike the rest of Borealis. For some reason, the curiously stony material of its walls reflected a faint light somehow communicated from outside. One of the side walls englobed a pair of rather substantial wooden doors not unlike those of an old armoire, though much bigger. At its center, one could notice a conspicuous lock large enough to receive a key the size of a fist; Amy knew exactly what these doors were, having fingered the Blythe key only four days ago.

"This is it, guys," said Sonic. "The doors to the chamber. Inside are the Ambrosian Files."


	22. Shine

**Shine**

----

While Amy sat on the sidelines, ruminating in spite of herself on her deed earlier this morning, Sonic proceeded to bind Tails' injury with what little fabric he could find in his sidekick's backpack.

"There, that should do it for now... When we're back in the forest, I'll change it. Do you still have your first aid kit back at your camp?"

Tails shook his head. Almost all of his possessions had been seized by the Alpha Unit four nights ago.

"Alright, we'll just use some leaves or something... Something that will hold until we reach the coast," Sonic said. "I'll try to put it in a sling, if I can find some more fabric." He scratched his forehead for a second. "Amy, maybe you'll have to... uh..."

Amy looked up, glad to have this pleasant distraction from her otherwise dark thoughts; through unsure of Sonic's intent, she felt ready and willing to satisfy his instruction.

"I might have to use some of your clothes. Like your T-shirt or something. You'll have to do without it until we reach the coast."

Amy blinked. That request was a strange one indeed, but there was no doubt she was excited by its erotic connotation, since it had been voiced by Sonic (even if his intent was purely functional).

"Don't worry, not now, when we're back in the forest tonight," Sonic said all at once, erroneously assuming his request had come off the wrong way (his scanty experience with girls told him they could be unpredictably violent). "Anyway, the two of you should go now."

"What about you?" Amy asked.

"I want to stay here, I still need to grab the Ambrosian Files."

"Why don't we do it now? The chamber's behind these doors, isn't it?"

"I don't have the Blythe key, we couldn't steal it from them. Listen Amy, I need to fill you in on what happened... We're in huge trouble with the Islanders. We spied on their camp yesterday, and... well... It got a bit tense."

"Well, _obviously_," she said, almost rolling her eyes. "Why's it different from how it was before?"

Sonic shot a quick disapproving glance at his sidekick. "Because... because Tails fired on them."

"They deserved it," said Tails automatically, looking at neither Sonic nor Amy.

"Tails, we went over this a thousand times! You're not being rational! You should never have brought a gun without telling me." Sonic sighed wearily. "Amy, the fact that Tails opened fire... I'm not sure how to describe it... Well obviously it could have some political consequences between our two countries, but that's not so important right now. It's more along the lines of their strategy. For all I know, they could use it as a pretext to use firearms against us. I don't really want us to stick around and find out. Tails," he admonished, "that was _not_ a good call."

Tails failed to meet Sonic's eye, but his hardened expression showed he was not repentant one bit.

"Whatever. What's done is done," said Sonic. "Anyway, we need to separate. They're deploying all of their troops today; you two need to get out while the coast is still clear."

"But Sonic, what will you do?" Amy asked. "How are you getting inside this chamber without the key?"

"I'll use Knuckles." This proposal confused Amy, so Sonic elaborated. "When we were trying to steal the key yesterday, we heard them planning their strategy. It sounded like El had proven stronger than they thought, so today they're sending their host all over Borealis to confuse him and keep him busy, and as soon as they engage him in battle, they'll send in Slug to come kill him. Meanwhile Knux is supposed to use this distraction to come here alone with the Blythe key."

Amy instinctively looked around, as if expecting Knuckles to show up. "He'll come here? When?"

"I'm not sure, some time later today. I'll just sit back and hide until he shows up, then I'll knock him out and snatch the Ambrosian Files in his place. He'll never know what hit him." For a second a gleam in his eyes revealed he was a bit carried away in his cunningness, but he quickly snapped out of it. "Anyway, with my speed I'll be able to leave easily and avoid capture." He considered his two associates. "You two have to leave now. If you wait for them to take control of Borealis, you'll never be able to escape."

Amy nodded approvingly. Of course, she wasn't keen on letting Sonic out of her sight, but his plan sounded sensible and intelligent. A flight involving her and Tails would be rather laborious, so there was no doubt the two of them should leave as soon as possible.

Amy's visible approbation caused Sonic to step towards her – which made her heart beat a bit faster – and lead her a few steps away (Amy was instantly reminded of her school where some of her peers sometimes discreetly slipped behind the curtain of the auditorium in order to "make out").

"Listen Amy, I need you" – Amy felt a spark at those words and wished for Sonic to leave it at that – "to keep him out of trouble. He's wounded, obviously, but I mean, he's also been reckless... Back in the forest yesterday, I could hardly control him, he just wouldn't listen to me, and then he went all crazy on me. He actually brought this gun, I'm scared he might use it again if you two run into some troopers."

"Is it likely we'll run into them?" she asked, a bit tense.

"I'm not sure. For all I know, they could already be on top of us," Sonic said, reminding Amy that they were just below level ground. "They're really restless, because El managed to hold off Slug the other day. These guys especially, called the Alpha troopers... they're a bunch of crazy knuckleheads. Their leader, this huge bully they call 'Captain,' is basically bossing everyone around, including Knuckles. If we stick around too long, it could get really rough."

Amy nodded again, but asked, "how will you find us later on, when you're done here?"

"Easy. Look, just wait for me at the camp. Tails told me where it is, so I'll meet you there. Please, just avoid fighting them and getting captured... If you do, they're sure to treat you like POWs, because of what Tails did." To Amy's surprise, Sonic looked to his feet, his expression suddenly miserable. "I'm sorry. It's just that when we were younger, I used to get him in trouble, and then out of trouble all the time... everything seemed so easy back then. But Tails doesn't listen to me anymore. If he gets captured, I don't know if I'll be able to help him this time."

"I'll do my best, Sonic," Amy said firmly. Although she was barely a year over Tails, and had obviously much less experience in battle, she felt proud at her assignment. Amy hoped she was starting to prevail as Sonic's partner; he certainly seemed to trust her very much for the present.

A minute later, Amy and Tails were up and ready for their trek, their respective knapsacks already on their backs.

"Be careful Sonic," said Amy softly.

"I'll be fine," he confidently replied, intent on remaining the 'cool guy' of the group. "You two be careful. That means you, little buddy," he told Tails. "Just get yourself and Amy back safely."

"Okay," said Tails blankly. Despite whatever rancor they still held, Sonic hugged him fondly but delicately, avoiding his right arm. Tails didn't respond. Amy looked at the two in approbation, although she knew she'd like it very much if Sonic embraced her instead – _she_ would definitely respond (which was probably why Sonic chose not to hug her).

The two teens then started their way out of the antechamber, under the sound of Sonic's final advice: "remember Tails: 'cooler heads will prevail'."

"Look who's talking," Tails softly ironized when Sonic was out of earshot.

----

An hour later, Tails and Amy were desperately peeking beyond a pile of unused steel plates. Though on level ground, they were trapped inside a warehouse at its extremity; a few yards from them, two fearsome-looking soldiers were dangerously standing in its middle and guarding it, though they had not noticed the presence of Sonic's two juniors.

Amy and Tails' progress had been disappointingly modest: it had taken quite a while to find a way out of the labyrinthine underground complex; its eventual exit had led to the inside of one of Borealis' many buildings, and the two friends found out with dismay it was already guarded by this pair of Islanders. After a long wait, it now became clear these two belligerents were assigned this specific post and were not intent on moving out anytime soon.

"Sheesh... They're not moving at all. It's like they're glued to their post."

Amy sighed in frustration. "How can we get past them then?" Tails didn't reply, still hoping for an opportunity to move out. Due to Sonic's warnings, Amy guessed that Tails wasn't ruling out the possibility of fighting these two soldiers, but she didn't wish for that to happen; she had precisely been assigned the task of avoiding combat during their flight. "Tails, we should move back underground. Maybe there's a passage that runs under the entire base or part of it. We can't do anything here anyways."

"But I'm _so_ not familiar with everything downstairs," Tails replied, somewhat adamant. "I don't even know how far it extends. We might get lost down there; I wish I had my compass, but they took it the other night."

Finally, when the Islanders' static position seemed confirmed, Tails relented.

"Okay, you win, we'll go downstairs. I just hope we don't get lost."

They carefully slipped out of their position and, caring to stay low at all times, tediously moved towards the entrance of the passageway from which they had arrived much earlier.

Instead of going back towards the antechamber where they had left Sonic, the duo took a new direction, that of a long corridor which seemed to head under the warehouse they had just departed and out of Borealis' center.

"This is kind of creepy..." Amy observed.

"Yeah, it's like we're in the sewers. Oh, check it out," Tails added, for they reached another heavy steel door, still slightly ajar.

"We should shut it, if they come after us it might discourage them to come this way," Amy suggested as they went past the door, referring to the Islanders. "Don't worry about it, I'll do it. You shouldn't strain yourself."

Tails looked somewhat offended at this comment, which came off as patronizing, but didn't object; obviously he was not in a position to exert such an effort in his condition. He took a step back as Amy deployed her strength, pushing the door with her back. While she did so, she noticed how Tails was still clinging to his firearm.

Once the door virtually shut, Amy reprimanded the kitsune. "Okay Tails, quit reaching for your gun! You're not supposed to use it!"

"Sure, okay, fine," he muttered. He looked at his piece for a few seconds, then put in away in his backpack. He then frowned at Amy. "Wait... you have one too, don't you? You used it earlier, with El."

"Oh, right..." Amy had completely forgotten about Joey's gun. She definitely felt uncomfortable about it, although it was less due to Sonic's resentment against firearms than to the fact she had acquired it from Joey and had used it right away to betray him. She took it out of her knapsack and stared at it pensively. "I don't know what I should do with it..."

"Well, you can't throw it away. You should just keep it, it might come in handy."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right." She thought for a second. "I guess I'll just tape it to the bottom of my knapsack. It's actually annoying the way it's moving around inside."

Amy proceeded to securely fasten her firearm inside her bag at its very base, in order to check its irritating shifts.

They cautiously resumed their headway, neither of them speaking for the moment. The corridor's early twists and turns were soon supplanted by a long, straight line, but there was no light in the distance to suggest an exit. After a while, Amy broke the silence.

"Tails, I wanted to ask you... How did it happen?"

Tails looked at her, his expression confused.

"I mean, how did you... How come you started shooting at Knuckles and his guys?"

"Whoa, time out – I didn't – I didn't shoot at Knuckles. It was all these others meanies who were chasing us. It was like a warning shot. I don't think it hit anyone."

Amy raised her eyebrows. "You don't _think_ you _hit _anyone? Dude, it's a gun! You don't use it unless you know what you're doing!"

"Amy, I knew what I was doing," he shot back, though a bit shaken. "It was self-defense. You should've heard them talking about us earlier. The 'Captain' and his thugs... a bunch of dorks, if you ask me. They didn't know we were spying, and they started talking trash about Sonic... how they were going to rip us apart and everything."

Amy couldn't reply immediately, for she hadn't been there, but her expression was still firm. "Whatever. Anyway, it sounded like Sonic thought you were going crazy because you're, like, obsessed with El."

Tails chuckled disdainfully. "Sonic's no different. The only reason he accepted this mission is because the file was leaked to the Floating Island and he could fight Knuckles over the Ambrosian Files. He just wanted to beat Knux at something. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he leaked the file himself."

"Wait, what? Sonic leaked the file?"

Tails shrugged. "I don't know. It's just a thought I had. But come on, honestly, do you really believe all his nonsense about serving the government and all that crap?"

"I... I kinda did... He seemed pretty sincere about his mission and everything..."

Tails grinned. "No way! He doesn't give a flying hoot about politics. It was just so he could embarrass Knuckles. That's why he came up with that crazy 'plan' of his to ambush him next to the chamber."

Amy laughed shortly, amused as well. "It sounds like you two are quite the team, aren't you?"

"I guess. Usually it's fun, when we don't have a 30-some army of goons on our backs."

"Well, that's why you guys need me," she smiled. "I still want to join your team, you know."

Tails looked at her like she was a novelty. "You sure?"

"Yeah. It'll happen. I just need a bit more combat training and some experience in battle. Sonic will accept me no problem."

"Right. Sure he will."

Amy shot a hostile glance at her friend. "What was that?" she asked, dangerously raising her hand. Tails innocently started whistling, so Amy just crossed her arms. "You're lucky your arm is damaged, or else you'd really get it," she grumped. "Mark my words, Sonic will accept me. He has to. I just saved you guys, and he trusts me now."

She suddenly shut up – Tails had stopped walking and looked like he was on alert. He silently pointed to the ceiling.

Indeed, there were a few sounds – footsteps, mutters – that came from above.

"Let's wait for a few minutes," Tails whispered.

"Can they hear us from above?" Amy whispered back.

Tails just shrugged. "Probably not. We should wait until they're gone."

A short while later, the passageway was silent once again.

"It's all right," Tails said out loud. "I _think_ we're still in the right direction, anyway."

Amy was a bit anxious after having heard the ominous sounds of the invaders. "What if we run into them later? This hallway won't go on forever, it'll probably lead back upstairs at some point. We'll have to hide again."

"Whatever. I'll fight them to the bitter end. I'm not scared. Are you?"

Amy didn't reply at first. Of course, she _was_ very much afraid at the thought of being captured by the Islanders, but her shame caused her to hide this fact. "I'm fine," she said softly. "I just hope Sonic will be okay..."

Their march continued for another while, until an unexpected event seemed to cynically answer Amy's concern: all of a sudden a deep, disturbing sound could be heard behind them. The walls slightly shook; Amy reflexly seized Tails' unscathed arm. The noise quickly stopped, although many specks of dust fell from the ceiling, which caused Amy to cough briefly.

"Whoa. What the hell was that?"

Tails looked behind them towards the origin of the sound. "It sounded like an explosion. Somewhere in Borealis."

"But it sounded like it came from the chamber... where Sonic is," Amy said, nervous.

Tails also expressed worry, but shrugged it off. "It could have been someplace else. Some fathead probably fired a bazooka by mistake or something."

There was a slight silence, which starkly contrasted with the sound of the blast.

"We have to trust him," Tails said pensively. "I've had to do this many times in the past. He'll be fine. Maybe he somehow set it off on purpose to distract those guys so we could escape. He might've nicked some explosives Knuckles brought along with him to the chamber."

"It's possible, I guess," Amy said, though downcast. "We should wait for a bit and try to hear whether they're moving towards the site of the explosion. The Islanders upstairs, I mean."

Tails agreed. However, that plan was fruitless since the long silence that followed failed to reveal whether the Islanders were present.

"There's no one up there," Tails observed. "Maybe they haven't come through this part of the base yet."

"Are we near the edge?"

Tails opened his hands in uncertainty. "I'm not sure. We could try to get upstairs somehow, at least to check out how it looks."

"Yeah. If we can find a way upstairs," Amy objected, pointing to the passageway they were still following.

In fact, Amy wasn't sure whether there was a way out. Before their march had been interrupted by the explosion, they had been walking for a quite a while without encountering any staircases or even intersections.

The two friends quietly progressed unhindered until daylight gradually revealed the tunnel was nearing its end. It made a sharp right turn before unveiling its only exit, a rather wide set of two dozen steps large enough to lead Amy and Tails to level ground. They cautiously mounted them, silencing their footsteps as much as they could – they knew some of their foes could be prowling around.

"Wow – this is huge," murmured Tails. They had actually just emerged indoors at the side of perhaps the largest hangar in all of Borealis, probably intended for hosting an air cargo. It was at least fifty yards wide and perhaps eight times as long. Most of it was empty except for a few unused fans planted in the ceilings and countless unopened wooden crates disorderly bunched near the walls – perhaps no one had touched them since Eggman's departure. Amy looked to her left: in the distance she could see the end of the hangar; she knew that it extended almost to the perimeter of the base. If they reached it and found an exit door, they could achieve their escape.

"I think I know where we are, Tails," she said, pointing to her left.

"Yeah, I see it. If we can get past that, we'll be out of here."

"Tails, over there," Amy whispered, alarmed. On their right they made out two not so distant silhouettes guarding the place. Thankfully the two soldiers were not in their escape route, but their presence still highly complicated the situation. "Maybe we can slip behind those crates on our left... They won't see us," she softly suggested.

"Over there – there they are!!" a distant voice shouted. Amy jolted in alarm. Some twenty yards from them, numerous figures menacingly emerged and started to make their way towards the tunnel's exit where Amy and Tails were still standing.

Amy felt caught between a rock and a hard place – either they had to somehow break the line, or they would have to retreat into the passageway, which only led back to the center of the base. She frantically looked around, searching for the best solution. If they wanted to exit Borealis straightaway, it was now or never.

Amy quickly glanced at her comrade; Tails had taken a step back, but Amy noticed from the ardent sparkle in his eyes that he was not scared one bit and was ready for action.

"Tails! They're too close!" The Islanders would collide with them in just a few seconds.

"No they're not—" At those words he instantaneously jumped up and, despite the effort it required of him, activated his two tails into propeller mode.

"Get him!!" someone yelled. The Islanders all scrambled after the kitsune, who was flying above them in order to get past. They turned around and started the chase, clumsily trying to coordinate their action, although it was clear Tails' recklessness was throwing them off – they had probably expected him to surrender right away.

In the midst of their chase, Amy was surprisingly left alone, as if her inertia made her invisible to the Islanders. Although Sonic had assigned her with protecting Tails, she sensed her two-tailed friend was providing her a window of opportunity to escape and that he was intent of shaking off his pursuers on his own with the advantage of his flying ability.

With the coast now clear for her, Amy made for her left, quickly but silently darting for what she thought was the most direct way out of this hangar and of the base.

A few seconds later, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Directly in her path, an unfriendly figure stared at her. It was casually leaning against a crate, its arms crossed, a sly smile fixed on its relaxed face. Amy blinked as she recognized it instantly – she was all too well aware of the extent of its arrogance and might.

"How nice to see you again, Amy Rose," Anya said confidently. "Do you surrender?"


	23. Through the Net

A little warning before you read these next couple chapters: this is where my "T" (teen) rating is justified. There is nothing here a teenager can't handle, but if you're under 13, you might want to stop here. It's not really graphic; it's more along the lines of psychological abuse, as well as mild hints of perversity. It's not too heavy, but I just thought I'd give you a little heads up. If you decide to stop here but want to know what happens, write me a private message and I'll work out something. Either I'll send you a summary or an edited copy of these chapters.

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**Through the Net**

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Despite Anya's relaxed posture, Amy was on edge; she mentally prepared herself for the impending brawl with her foe. She thought Anya would leap at her any second now, but was deceived: the mercenary was still leaning against the crate as if she were in a bar, a cool, seductive smirk planted on her face. Not sure how to engage her opponent, Amy calmly and tentatively approached her, thinking of how she could land the first blow. During their last confrontation, Anya had had the jump on her, and Amy wasn't about to let that happen again.

Discreetly flexing her muscles, Amy swiftly leaped at Anya and aimed a powerful punch at her face, but Anya just moved out of the way with ease, as if Amy's charge had not even been sudden. Amy's fist hit the wooden box – she winced as the force of the blow irritated her hand beneath its glove. She turned around quickly, expecting Anya's counterattack, but it didn't come: Anya had only moved three steps away and coolly watched Amy rub her hand. The innocent smile on the she-mongoose's face suggested she might as well have been taking a stroll in the park, which only enraged Amy further.

Intent on diversifying her tactics, Amy suddenly lunged at Anya's feet to make her fall, but Anya dodged her dive with the grace of a ballet dancer. With the two women barely a foot apart, Amy tried punching and kicking her opponent, but Anya easily blocked all of her moves; when Amy tried to seize her by the waist, Anya gently caught her arms and landed her to her side as if Amy were lighter than a feather.

Again, Amy picked herself up, but was unsure what to do next. Anya was not even attacking her – it was as if Anya didn't even want to harm her. Finally, Amy made another thrust, decisively putting all her energy into combining velocity with sheer force, hoping Anya wouldn't have the time to move away. This time, Anya dodged a bit more suddenly, but left her foot in Amy's path to trip her. Carried away by her own speed, Amy rolled to the ground.

Before Amy had time to get to her feet, Anya seized her by the front of her collar and easily lifted her over the ground. She then effortlessly pressed her victim against the wall, Amy's legs still dangling in the air. Amy could not help be amazed at this woman's near-superhuman strength.

"Don't think you can defeat me, darling," she said with the same condescension she had shown at their last meeting. "I thought I advised you to avoid us at all costs… Remember, you still have to pay for the money you stole from us."

Though frightened by Anya's raw power, Amy was still hoping for an opportunity to counterattack. "I thought you said we were even," she said slowly, Anya's grip almost hampering her speech. "You said the key was payback for the money."

"Yes I did… I personally have no ill will towards you my dear. But my dear husband… He hasn't been paid back. He's still rather livid at what you have done…"

Amy tensed once again at the mention of Slug, but she tried to keep her cool as best she could under the circumstances. "Let me go, please. You got what you wanted last time."

Anya shook her head gently. "No. We're supposed to capture all hostiles and bring them back to our camp. But then…" she smiled maliciously. "I know my husband will see you and recognize you. I know him well and I'm quite certain he won't be in a mood to show you mercy."

Amy shuddered, although she did her best to show a brave face. She knew this woman was attempting to unsettle her.

"Don't try to defy me, Miss Rose… You know you're under my power and you're now my prisoner. Before we get back to our camp, you had better find some way to convince my husband you can repay him."

Despite her best attempts, Amy was hardly resisting Anya's psychological warfare. The fearsome woman knew exactly what to say to frighten her. "Please… Let me go. How can I repay him? You already took the Blythe key. I have nothing else."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Anya commented, feigning compassion. "If you can't repay him, Slug will have no use for you… nor will he have mercy." She then looked at Amy pensively. "Okay, let me see…" She took a step back, her straightened arm still holding Amy against the wall. She then curiously started inspecting her captive with her eyes, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

After a minute, Anya smiled again as if enjoying a delightfully cruel thought. "Look, I have an idea. I'll try to talk to Slug to maybe forgive your theft. I can't guarantee I'll succeed, but I can try. For a price, of course."

"W-What is the price?" Amy asked apprehensively.

Anya then gave Amy a twisted leer. "You, my darling, will belong to _me_."

Amy opened her eyes wide in shock. Anya's proposal had come out terribly wrong to her ears, especially given the subdued dementia of her tone of voice. It was impossible to imagine what this offer could entail in practice; its only certainty was that it spelled trouble and woe for Amy's fate.

"Tell me, what is so wrong with my suggestion?" asked Anya, noticing Amy's consternation. "It's only fair. You'll basically be paying off your debt by putting yourself at my service for a while. It's a bit of easy work for a huge sum of money. I find that rather generous, don't you?"

Amy said nothing, but she didn't exactly feel long-term servitude was "fair" payment of one's debt.

"Perhaps I should clarify," Anya continued. "You see, Slug won't ask for your service, because he doesn't really have any use for you. But with any luck, he might accept it as a favor to me. He knows I could really enjoy having a cute little girlie like you… They're always so much fun to have around. They're so easily frightened and terrorized into submission, and I've always enjoyed the futility of their squirms and squeals whenever I play with them… And it's so easy to borrow all those toys in my husband's office…"

Appalled, Amy could hardly believe what she was hearing, nor could she understand why Anya seemed to enjoy herself at every word she uttered; in fact, the mercenary was grinning with the utmost perversion spread across her face. Amy guessed her foe's reference to Slug's "toys" designated the tiny weapons and the drugs previously seen in Slug's office, but she couldn't precisely imagine the sadistic intentions Anya had in mind for her.

"Now, now, don't be so shy, little Amy Rose. It won't be that difficult. All you'll have to do is give me your complete devotion, obedience, and love… and blindly accept whatever I have in mind for you… whatever it may be. Believe me darling, I have a lot of imagination, and I already have so many ideas for you… Oh yes… you're going to have so much fun with me. I'll teach you to be a docile and pleasing little girl. I'll parade you to my many girlfriends, I'm sure they will adore you as well and have their fun with you. Aren't you excited? You're going to be such an _adorable_ little doll!"

Revolted, Amy flinched at the prospect of entering a life of subordination to this cruel woman. Disgusted at enduring this perversely infantilizing treatment, Amy summoned up her courage to express her defiance. Still pinned against the wall by her opponent, she temerariously spat on Anya's face, regardless of the possible consequences.

Anya blinked for a second as the sticky liquid suddenly soiled her fine features. Her grin was instantly gone and she stared menacingly at Amy, calmly furious at her victim's unexpected insolence. With her free hand, Anya steadily reached into her pocket to grab a spotless white handkerchief and slowly wiped her face of Amy's spit. She then put the handkerchief back in her pocket, her eyes intensely fixated on Amy's.

At this moment Anya reached for her belt and quickly displayed a tiny but impressive dagger. Amy was suddenly seized with an extreme terror as she saw the shining, razor-sharp blade move threateningly towards her face. She shut her eyes in anguish as Anya brought it within less than an inch of Amy's left eye.

"I don't think you quite get the picture, Amy Rose. Do you want to know what it's like to be blind?"

Amy had never been so terrified in her life. "No, please!" she cried, trembling from head to toe. "Don't blind me, I beg you! Please, I'll do anything!"

"You had better apologize for what you just did, you little brat. If you ever do that again, you be will _very_ sorry indeed."

"Yes! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again! Please, don't hurt me!" Amy blurted.

"If I want, I can easily carve out your two eyes in less than three seconds… although I could also take my time to teach you the meaning of pain. It certainly looks like you're due for this little lesson in life."

"No, don't!!! Please! I beg you!"

"Amy Rose, you better listen very, very carefully to what I'm telling you. In case you haven't figured it out, there are no laws here to protect you. We're hundreds of miles beyond the frontier, so might makes right. Weaklings like you are helpless against our power. As you can well see, your strength is nonexistent while mine is infinite, so don't bother wasting whatever energy you vainly think you may have by struggling against my grip. Don't think it is hard for me to hold you against that wall. It takes me no effort whatsoever to handle you. I can just as easily toss you in the air, crush your bones, cut off your arms and legs, or do whatever I wish in just a few seconds without straining myself in any way. Right now I am only toying with you. Amy Rose," she continued while moving the blade even closer to Amy's eye, "do you understand you're under my absolute power and that I can do anything I want with you if it pleases me? Do you realize I can hurt, control, and torture you at will and that your life is entirely in my hands? Answer me!"

"Yes! Yes! I do! Yes!" Amy cried in terror. "Please. Don't blind me, please."

After a few seconds, Anya slowly drew back the blade and placed her dagger back on her belt, satisfied with Amy's submission. "Good girl. You're starting to understand your place. Know your only choice is to show me absolute obedience. I expect nothing less from you."

Anya wasn't done tormenting her victim. "Amy Rose, you also need to understand… Your alternative to submitting to my power isn't death. Death is merciful. Do you want to know why Slug is so famous among men of war? It's because, following a bet he made with me, he has tried to devise a way of treating his enemies, not by killing them, but by letting them stay alive… with the _least possible limbs_." She smiled sadistically. "You see, because of what you did to him, he will probably be inclined to do the same with you, and he has become rather skilled at it. Oh, nothing unusual… He'll just carve out your eyes, cut off your ears, lips… Extract your tongue, if he's hungry, since those are rather tasty… Cut off your hands and feet… Then he might let you go."

Anya visibly took the greatest pleasure in watching her terrified victim's high-pitched whines as she enumerated the atrocities Slug could inflict. She simply relished the experience of terrorizing the poor girl into agony as if it were the most exquisite dessert. "Personally, I think he might've gone a bit overboard. You see, I'm a softie. And I wouldn't want that to happen to a sweet cutie pie like you. So if you behave, if you prove to be a good, obedient little girl from now on, I may have pity and work out something. But if you keep acting like the spoiled little brat that you've been, I'll sadly abandon you to your gruesome fate…"

With those last words, Anya used her powerful grip on Amy to throw her to the ground. With Amy lying spread-eagle on the floor and not daring to make the slightest move, Anya stood dominantly in front of her and pressed her foot forcefully on Amy's chest to hold her in place.

"Think of yourself as a helpless lamb bound for the slaughter," she said with a contempt Amy had never imagined possible. "When you see my husband later today, you had better crawl at his feet like a dog and beg for his mercy. Now, you'll soon notice he's not generous and caring like I am," she added with a twisted smile, "but if you're lucky, I may ease his wrath and work out an arrangement for the retribution of your crime."

Amy said nothing, stunned with fear both at the sight of this hateful but powerful woman and at the mention of her impending confrontation with Slug, especially after having heard the extent of his inclination for atrocities.

"Do you understand me?" said Anya dangerously. "You will earnestly grovel before me and my husband and sheepishly implore us to show pity for your insignificant little existence. You will pathetically kiss our feet and dutifully wait on us as we freely decide your fate." She was pressing her boot so hard on Amy's body that Amy was nearly crushed. "You better answer me, Amy Rose!" she barked.

"Yes… Yes," said Amy weakly.

"Yes what?"

"Yes… I will… bow down and ask… for your forgiveness…" Amy uttered slowly, for the weight keeping her down was nearly choking her.

Anya expressed her satisfaction with another evil grin. Her intense stare at Amy's body revealed she was gleefully letting her imagination run wild with perverse ideas about what she could do to her victim.

As for Amy, she was living a nightmare. It was pretty clear to her that Anya was nothing less than a deranged sadist, whose encounter with Amy was a brutal foreshadowing of Amy's merciless destruction at Slug's hands. She knew she had to get away from this woman at all costs. Despite Anya's tremendous physical and psychological supremacy, Amy still managed to gather the willpower to try to think of any possible way to hurt her at least long enough to be able to escape.

While pinning Amy on the ground with her foot, Anya produced a standard-size sheet of paper and a pen and curiously started scribbling down some notes. Still reeling from the terror just forced upon her, Amy progressively became conscious and questioning of her tormentor's writing effort. Once again, Anya's skill was frighteningly impressive: Amy could only marvel at the cool dexterity displayed in her penmanship. Anya was drafting her piece at a disturbing speed, but her work was not at all tense: on the contrary, her hand was gracefully handling the pen, jotting down the words with amazing velocity and precision.

Taking quite a few minutes to compose her mysterious essay, Anya slightly let her guard down in the process, while Amy had the time to psychologically recover a bit. Trying to think about how she could get out of Anya's tight squeeze, she soon remembered Tails' Swiss army knife in the side pocket of her knapsack, which was crushed on the floor behind her back as Anya kept pressing her foot down on Amy's chest. Very carefully, Amy was somehow able to reach for the knife without her captor noticing.

Before Amy found the time to make her move, Anya shoved the paper in her face. Amy fearfully used her free hand to receive it and held it in front of her eyes. Despite the hasty effort, the handwriting was precise, legible, and even. The content was rather confusing, but it was titled "contract" and filled with formal references to "parties," "Employer," "Employee," and the like. Confused, Amy looked up at her captor.

"This is your employment contract," Anya explained. "It's basically a formal recognition of your debt to Slug and your commitment to work as his employee for a certain period. You can sign it now so I can show it to him. In practice, you'll be working for me, but officially you'll be paying off your debt to him. If he accepts this offer, you're saved. You just need to be convince him of your repentance and docility when you see him this afternoon, and I'll try to persuade him to spare you and accept this contract."

Amy looked at it again. At the bottom she made out blank spaces for two signatures: one marked for "Amy Rose the Hedgehog" and the other for "Slug 'the Machine' the Mongoose."

"But… but it sounds like... like slavery," Amy said weakly, finding the courage to speak.

"Come, come, child," the mercenary disagreed. "You teenagers are so overly dramatic… It's just 'indentured servitude.' It's perfectly legal and internationally recognized. There's nothing immoral or irregular about it, it's an employment contract. You'll be working for Slug and he's paying you by forgiving your debt." Anya tried to sound reasonable, but Amy could not help noticing a subdued maniacal gleam in her foe's eyes. "This is your passport to freedom. I've giving you your only chance to be free from my husband's wrath. Go ahead and sign it," she finished, handing her pen to Amy.

Though vulnerable to Anya's dominance, Amy was no fool. She had no knowledge whatsoever of legalistic terminology, but the words "service will be terminated once Employer has dismissed Employee" obviously meant Slug would legally be the sole party to determine when the debt would be paid off. In practice, Slug could keep her at his service for as long as he wished; there was no doubt this "contract" represented nothing less than the legal forfeiture of her freedom. When added to the perversity and the threats Anya expressed mere moments ago, Amy could well understand this proposal was horribly wrong. She would never accept it.

The knife still in her free hand out of Anya's sight, Amy tried to maintain the illusion that she was still reading and pondering the terms of the contract. She then suddenly proceeded to stab Anya's foot as hard as she could.

While the rubber of Anya's boot certainly helped ease the impact of the blade, Amy still managed to pierce it and wound her foe, who jerked back, surprised. The knife was sent flying by Anya's sudden movement. With the pressure off her chest, Amy instantly got to her feet and took off as fast as she could, wishing to create the greatest possible distance between her and Anya.

Amy fled like a bolt through the seemingly deserted hangar, not bothering to look behind to see whether Anya was giving chase. She cared to hug the side wall as much as she could, to help avoid being spotted, although she was mostly concerned with reaching the extremity of the hangar quickly. Its exits were few: the enormous plane-sized gates were closed, and only an old and tiny set of doors near the left corner seemed to lead outside, save for some large paneless windows in the side wall, near the ceiling and completely out of reach.

Only a few dozen yards from her destination, Amy glanced behind her; now that the shock of her encounter with Anya was wearing off, she had to think about meeting up with Tails again. Her concern was instantly answered: in the distance Tails could be seen near the ceiling, fixed on top of one of the disused fans. A bit further, his pursuers were still on the lookout, frustrated by Tails' disappearance.

Tails spotted Amy as well and saw his chance; a large side window lied just a few feet above her. Seizing the opportunity without a second thought, he activated his tails once more and headed for Amy. The Islanders immediately heard the sound of the propeller and gave chase, but Tails was well ahead.

Amy glanced at the window and back at Tails; she understood his plan immediately, but she found it very optimistic because Tails would never have enough energy to lift her this high. Tails kept forward in his rush and conspicuously extended his left arm to show Amy his intent. Seconds later, the two connected – Tails picked her up with a single arm.

For a second it looked like Tails might be able to reach the window, but Amy's weight was too heavy (much to her embarrassment). Exhausted, Tails nonetheless put all of his remaining strength in his endeavor; unfortunately, he had never carried a person using a single arm, and his injury had already drained him of part of his energy, not to mention the effort he had provided to flee the Islanders a few moments ago. Unable to go any higher, he had to land in the middle of a cluster of wooden crates set near the side wall.

Without a moment to lose, Tails reached for his gun in his knapsack before Amy had the time to protest. Emerging from behind the crate, he made his presence known to the approaching Islanders who were still rushing towards the duo, having gleefully noticed its failure to exit the hangar.

"Stay back!!! I mean it, all of you!!! Stay back or I'll shoot!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The soldiers noticed Tails was menacingly clinging to his gun; one of them – probably their leader – motioned for the group to come to a halt a dozen yards from Tails and Amy's spot.

Amy looked at her friend; although exhausted, the adrenaline pumping through his veins made him look like a desperate, cornered animal, ready to deadly pounce on his aggressors. Amy had never seen Tails in such a state before, and it worried her: this was exactly the type of situation Sonic had asked her to avoid.

"Tails!" she whispered. "Put away that gun! We can still run!"

Still fixated on the half-dozen combatants, Tails pretended he had hadn't heard Amy.

"Surrender to us!" their leader ordered imperiously. "You can't escape!"

"Let us go!" Tails shot back. "Let us leave, or I'll shoot! We just want to leave! You can't take me away!"

The Islanders' position was ambiguous: they had obvious strength in numbers, but Tails' potential violence made the situation rather difficult.

At that moment, someone else came into the picture to defuse the tension: a few feet behind the Islanders, Tails and Amy noticed the appearance of a familiar face they had not seen in years… It was Mighty the Armadillo – another member of the Chaotix.

Mighty joined the group's leader and exchanged a few words with him, before turning to Tails.

"Tails?" he asked loudly, due to the considerable distance between Sonic and Knuckles' respective forces.

"What do you want, Mighty?"

Mighty looked slightly embarrassed. "Look, dude… Why don't you just come with us? You're hurt… We have a few medics with us. You'll be fine."

Mighty's appearance only confused the kitsune further. "No way! Leave us alone! We just want to leave!"

"Tails, please! They can't – we can't – we can't let you go. Please, just put away the gun and come with us. I promise nothing will happen to you."

Unfortunately, Tails and Amy could well hear that Mighty's words were echoed by a disagreeing grumble from the other soldiers, which only increased Tails' distrust. Mighty could faintly be heard arguing with his interlocutor – the head of the present Islander group – since his efforts to help out as an intermediary were clearly jeopardized by the mutual suspicion between Tails and the Islanders.

Amy was very nervous as well. Their situation was desperate: the net was tightening on the two friends, and it was clear neither Tails nor the aggressive group of troopers would ever yield. Amy frantically looked around, left, right, to evaluate the faintest possibilities of getting through the menacing circle. She thought their foes might have a weak spot on her left, which could provide the duo with an escape route – if they could get past a triad of large superimposed wooden cases just a meter behind them currently blocking their exit.

Her inspection came just in time, because Amy spotted a silhouette slyly emerging from the top of the three crates, ready to lunge at them. Her heart hardened at this discovery – the parley had just been a deceitful diversion.

"Tails! Behind you!" she shouted without thinking, as the soldier leaped from his high position.

Tails immediately flipped around, the gun still in his hand – the soldier was already in the air, aiming for him. Out of a pure gut reaction, he fired --

BANG.

The soldier fell like a rock at Tails and Amy's feet. He was dead. Tails immediately dropped the gun, staring at the body in utter shock and dismay.

"Chaaaarge!!" shouted the head of the group as soon as the gun had gone off. Tails was completely paralyzed by his act, but Amy – also shocked, but not nearly as much since she wasn't the killer – jerked Tails by his uninjured arm and made for their left, the way now clear due to the death of their aggressor.

"Let's get out of here," she said automatically, leading Tails away with at least a half-dozen Islanders on their heels.

The chase didn't last long. The soldiers, galvanized by the shock of their comrade's death, were catching up with the duo, whose flight mostly consisted of Amy clumsily dragging an exhausted and confused Tails towards the tiny doors near the corner of the hangar.

"Come _on_, Tails!" Amy knew her plea was unfair, especially given the tremendous energy Tails had previously provided in spite of his injury, but their lives were on the line. Either they reached the door and crossed the field towards the forest, or they were captured.

Their course was soon blocked by a soldier who rushed towards the exit door from the side of the hangar, having successfully anticipated Tails and Amy's chosen path. Amy knew she had to collide with him to clear the way, so she soon made her thrust. The soldier prepared to block her attack, predicting Amy would simply try to land a front kick in his stomach, but her strike was a faint: Amy cunningly jumped up at the last second to land a well-aimed punch in his head while in the air.

Solidly landing on her feet, Amy hesitated for a second because she wasn't sure whether Tails was still with her; though on the ground, it was all her foe needed to grab her foot and drag her down. The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and Amy seemed to have the upper hand until another soldier bulkily chose to ram into the two antagonists. Slightly dazed, Amy saw the rest of the group catching up and aiming for her. She vigorously wrestled with desperate courage as a trio of them unceremoniously tried to seize her, but her struggle was in vain. After a few seconds, they finally immobilized her. As for Tails, Amy heard him grunt in pain; an Islander had callously chosen to strike his injured arm in order to neutralize him.

This time, it was all over. They had been captured.

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Hi, thanks for reading this. They almost got through the net, but didn't. If you wish to know where the Swiss army knife came from... Amy had grabbed it from Tails all the way back in chapter 14.

Next: "The Beginning of the End."


	24. The Beginning of the End

**The Beginning of the End**

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The Islander unit had gathered with their two captives just outside the hangar. It consisted of little more than a half-dozen soldiers whose head seemed to be a tall and rough-looking fellow named Manny, plus Mighty and the dead soldier, Moe. Amy and Tails were forced to compliantly sit on the grass, watched by the heavy stares of the combatants, who were still livid their comrade had been killed.

At some point Manny tried to gather his troops to confirm his next decision, but they were reluctant to move away from their captives. Mighty stepped in, however. "I'll watch over these two," he told them, "you can go listen to Manny." Glaring at Tails, they grudgingly walked over to their leader.

Once they were out of earshot, Mighty crouched in front of Tails. "Hey buddy… Tails… How're you doing?"

To his surprise, Tails didn't answer at all. He barely even looked at Mighty, completely oblivious to everything around him. He was still in shock at having cold-bloodedly killed someone, and was probably utterly confused with regards to the various causes that led to the event.

"Hello? It's Mighty, remember me? Come on buddy, please answer me."

Tails finally looked at Mighty, though vaguely. "Hi," he said.

"Look," said Mighty gravely, glancing occasionally behind him to check whether the soldiers might be eavesdropping. "I don't know how to tell you this… You need to hear me out. You've just shot this guy, Moe… He's dead. And uh…" Mighty looked rather nervous. "I'm scared you might be in very deep trouble. You could be treated like a POW, if not worse. And also – I'm guessing – because of Moe's death there might this huge diplomatic incident between our two countries… You know, your Republic and the Floating Island…"

If Tails tried to heed Mighty's words, he certainly didn't look that way. Amy, however, was listening carefully. She was very tense, because she knew Manny's unit was about to head back to their camp, which meant a confrontation with Slug was near. She tried to think of any possible way to escape but realized it would be hard. They had just been captured, and to motivate Tails into making a break for it might be very difficult in his current emotional state, not to mention his injured arm. Amy needed to fully deploy whatever skill she had in initiative and leadership, but she didn't give up yet.

"Tails, this is really important," Mighty continued. "This guy you shot, Moe, he wasn't really with us – these other guys are just regular troopers – but Moe, he was a member of the Alpha Unit. You've heard of them?"

Tails vaguely nodded, but his apathy only increased Mighty's uneasiness.

"The Captain – the guy who runs the Alpha Unit – sent Moe to go along with Manny's unit. Manny's the guy over there," Mighty explained, discreetly but impatiently pointing out their leader. "Since Moe was an Alpha trooper, he didn't have to follow Manny's orders, he was a free agent. The Captain basically gave him a blank check, as always. That's why he attacked you without warning."

Still listening intensely, Amy remembered the Captain: she had not actually seen him, but recalled his authoritarian voice from when the Alpha Unit had burned her camp to the ground five nights ago.

"Technically, Knuckles is heading this whole operation, but these guys – the Alpha Unit – they're basically running the show. They only take orders from the Captain, who's like, this total bulldozer. Come on Tails, you gotta hear me! Moe was like a brother to them! And these guys are really rough!" Mighty sighed desperately at Tails' apparent indifference. Not knowing what to do, he then turned to Amy, suddenly aware of her attention. "Hi," he said, "you're… Amy Rose, right? You're also with Sonic?"

Amy nodded.

"Okay… I remember you. I haven't seen you in so many years; last time you were still a kid."

"Yeah," she said, "it was a long time ago."

"How are you doing? Are you hurt as well?"

Amy shook her head, but she wanted to ask for Mighty's help. She remembered him from six years ago and knew he was a trustworthy fellow, much more open and friendly than Knuckles could be. She thought she could let Mighty know that she needed to avoid Slug completely, and maybe he could help in some way. Perhaps this was her last chance.

However, that initiative came crashing down when intervened a voice behind her. A feminine voice Amy had come to dread almost as much as the thought of meeting Slug.

"Hey handsome," Anya said, having finally caught up with the unit.

"Hey Anya, where were you?" Mighty asked, though unimpressed by the woman's flirtatious address.

"Oh, I've been a bit… delayed," she said, glancing at Amy on the ground. Amy was stupefied to see her walking soundly, as if the attack on her foot had not wounded her after all. "Don't worry about it," she told Mighty. "You should probably go talk to Manny and the boys, I think they're waiting for your input. I'll watch these two in the meantime."

Mighty gave Anya a suspicious look, but relented. "Sure." He then walked over to join the rest of the unit, while Anya watched him go with satisfaction. She now had Amy to herself.

Anya crouched in order to speak to her captive. Staring at her, Amy could not keep from trembling, remembering the shiny blade that nearly carved out her eyes and the many threats Anya had uttered. For her part, Anya was once again clearly delighted to witness Amy's anguish.

"Well, well, well… You thought you could escape from me, dearest… You actually thought you could hold me off," she said clearly but softly so Mighty wouldn't overhear. "Tsk, tsk," she said, playfully holding Amy's cheek, then gently slapping it. "My poor little baby girl… What will I do with you?"

Amy said nothing. Even her lips were trembling by now, much to Anya's delight.

"If you want to know, your feeble attack earlier barely touched me. I'm surprised you so stupidly had the hope to actually succeed. My, my, there are so many lessons you have yet to learn... I especially need to teach you how much trouble you can get into if you try to resist me." Anya reveled in that thought. "I will very much like to punish you for your futile attempt to hurt me… and I can be quite, ah, _creative_ in my punishments, as you'll soon find out."

Anya's sudden appearance had a tremendous psychological effect on Amy. Just before, even at the prospect of being brought to Slug within the next hour, she still had the strength to attempt to think up a possible escape, since it was the only way she could avoid the mortal danger. But with the knowledge that Anya was reasserting her control of her, that willpower was gone. She felt completely disarmed next to the awesome power this woman projected.

For the moment though, the oppression she endured at Anya's hands was temporarily interrupted when the soldiers loosely came back, although Manny and Mighty stayed a bit behind, engaged in a serious conversation probably concerning the repercussions of Moe's death.

"Hello boys," said Anya with the same kittenish tone.

They all acknowledged her, captivated by Anya's strong presence. The attention they willingly granted her was remarkable, although it wasn't quite clear if it was the result of Anya's sexy figure and flirtatious behavior, or whether her formidable physical power, not to mention her union with the famous Slug, secured a fearful respect towards her.

Meanwhile, one of the soldiers promptly grabbed Amy's jacket and knapsack and handed those to a comrade, who said: "oh right, that's her bag. Let's make sure she's clean."

"Oh word, gimme that," said Anya, grabbing the knapsack and opening it. She held it upside down and shook it, so that Amy's possessions clumsily dropped to the ground. Anya soon saw Amy's diary and picked it up.

"That's right… I remember this," she smirked. "All that mushy teenage angst…" Again, she leafed through the pages, amusing herself at her leisure to Amy's private writing, despite (or because of) Amy's dismay. "Listen to this, guys," Anya sniggered. To Amy's horror, Anya proceeded to loudly recite an entry using a childish voice and punctuating her performance with mock-girlish poses: "_Dear diary, I finally visited my darling Sonikku today. The poor angel is helplessly locked in that horrible cell. He looked so tired and depressed when I saw him, so I fed him and tried to cheer him up. I wish so badly I could open up that door to hold him and take care of him. If I can help him escape, maybe he will finally notice me and fall in love with me._ Oh dear, this little girlie has a hopeless crush on Sonic the Hedgehog!" she scoffed. Anya's act was cruel but entertaining, for the soldiers laughed along, despite the grief they held over Moe's death.

Blushing scarlet, Amy felt utterly humiliated as Anya deliberately violated and exposed her most intimate thoughts, especially since they were ridiculed in front of an eager audience that didn't hide its contempt for the hedgehog girl. Her profound embarrassment, strikingly visible in her expression, was only proportional to the satisfaction it brought Anya; indeed, the wicked mercenary observed with tremendous pleasure her victim's psychological distress. Feeling fulfilled, Anya closed the journal. "Oh my God, this stuff is so pitiful… Well, I doubt anyone will cry over the loss of this sentimental garbage." She then tossed it far away like a frisbee.

Though too frightened to protest in any way, Amy almost wailed as she witnessed the loss of her precious diary. Instinctively, she got up and started running to retrieve it, but was immediately stopped in her tracks when Anya grabbed her wrist and effortlessly jerked her back.

"You're not going anywhere, my sweet," Anya said, firmly restraining Amy against her body. Crushed, the hedgehog could barely move; with just a single arm, Anya easily kept a strong hold on Amy's upper body and two arms.

"You should find other ways to get Sonic's attention," Anya suggested. "Next time you see him, try flashing that flirty miniskirt you're always wearing. You know, like this," she said; using her free hand, Anya actually demonstrated her recommendation by ostentatiously wiggling Amy's orange skirt for show and effect, which quickly gathered everyone's avid attention. "There, now you're acting cute and sexy. See how it turns on all the boys?"

Amy struggled as best as she could, but due Anya's inflexible grip on her, there was nothing she could do to prevent her captor from freely playing with her skirt. Meanwhile, everyone around was laughing and staring gleefully at Amy, much to her chagrin and deep shame at being conspicuously displayed in such a way for the world to see. Anya was forcing upon her what Amy perceived as an exponential perversion of an attitude she had always loathed, that of her girl classmates' successful efforts for popularity and attractiveness through a sexually connoted appearance and demeanor.

Amy wished with all her heart Anya would stop oppressing her so callously, but it was only getting worse; boosted by the growing enthusiasm and support of the troopers, Anya responded by intensifying her act and spicing things up, clearly delighted to observe Amy mortified beyond measure. "Don't be so shy, baby," she cooed. "I'm doing this for your own good. Deep down, you know you want everyone to stare at your cute little figure. That's why you're wearing that adorable fluffy miniskirt. I'm just helping you get the attention you crave."

Anya's unbelievable hypocrisy sent Amy past the breaking point: even as the mercenary boasted about her supposed benevolence, Amy had to cope with the unbearable feel of her caresses. In a supreme effort, Amy summoned all her energy to break loose. Unfortunately, she might as well have tried to free herself from a straitjacket, for Anya's grip was indestructible. Amy couldn't even budge; she could only endure the absolute freedom and impunity that Anya enjoyed and abused to the full.

Luckily, Mighty finally managed to break through the circle around Anya and Amy after having noticed the toss of Amy's diary a minute earlier. "Anya, what are you doing? Why did you throw away that notebook? And let Amy go!"

"It seems our little Lolita wanted to flirt with the boys again. Check this out," said Anya, a bit carried away, still freely moving her hand about Amy's skirt. Unlike the rest of the crowd, Mighty wasn't amused at all by Anya's morbid off-the-cuff production, so the mercenary briefly turned back to professionalism. "She was trying to escape, as usual. You should thank me for keeping an eye out," she said, grudgingly releasing her captive.

Mighty rolled his eyes. "Jeez, this has got to be the last time I ever work with people other than my crew," he wearily said, running off to fetch Amy's diary wherever it had landed. It was usually very difficult to annoy the affable armadillo, but the stress caused by this difficult mission, not to mention Anya's crazy antics, had finally gotten to his system.

Meanwhile, Manny suggested: "maybe we should strip-search her as well. She might have some small weapons inside her T-shirt or something."

Anya grinned. "Probably under her little skirt, actually. We need to check. I'll do it," she said quickly, and she immediately gave Amy a sudden shove so that Amy fell over. Anya then hopped on her and frantically spread her hands all over Amy's struggling body, supposedly to uncover any hidden devices, although Anya suspiciously looked like she was passionately enjoying herself. Amy, for her part, was on the verge of crying out of emotional agony and shame.

"Anya!! What are you doing now?" cried Mighty just behind her, running back with the notebook in his hand.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just searching Amy for any knives or weapons she might have in her clothes," she answered, still busy.

"Get off her, Anya. I mean it," he said, revolted. "You can obviously see she's not hiding anything!"

At that, Anya finally stopped and got to her feet, after which she glared at Mighty and calmly stepped aside.

Mighty then quickly gathered Amy's other possessions and placed them all back in the knapsack. Handing it to Amy along with her jacket, he said: "here, I'm sorry for all the craziness," briefly shaking his head in exasperation. "Don't be afraid, it'll be okay. She just likes to bully people around," he added, for Amy was positively trembling, further destabilized by her loss of dignity due to Anya's "strip-search" of her.

Mighty then stepped next to Manny and exchanged a few words with him. Manny looked at the rest of the crew and made a gesture to gather their attention. "All right, we've waited long enough, we should head back pronto."

"What, just like that?" asked Anya, incredulous.

"What's up?" asked Manny. "Did we forget something?"

"Well, aren't you going to tie them up?" she inquired, and the soldiers murmured in agreement while Manny expressed consideration at the idea.

For his part, Mighty briefly closed his eyes in frustration. "No Anya… we're not going to tie them up. Are you crazy? Look at Tails' arm!"

Anya glanced at Tails, who was still sitting dejectedly on the ground, completely oblivious to these arguments. The health of his arm had obviously not improved in the past few minutes.

"Okay, forget the kid. We should tie up Amy, though. I'll do it, I'm an expert," she said promptly, grinning at the prospect and immediately grabbing some thin nylon string from her pocket. Amy closed her eyes in disgust. She was becoming completely allergic to the thought of this woman touching her again.

"And what, you're going to carry her all the way to the camp?" Mighty was getting more frustrated by the minute.

"Don't be silly dear, I'll just tie her hands… and arms… Look, I know this girl. Trust me, she may look cute and innocent, but she's really a mischievous little hussy," she explained, while determinedly stepping over to where Amy was still sitting. "Lie down, dear. On your chest," she ordered. Amy didn't actually have time to comply, because even as she spoke, Anya was already flipping her over like a doll. Sitting on Amy's back, Anya very quickly grabbed her two arms and firmly placed them together.

Slightly bewildered by Anya's promptness, Mighty finally reacted by suddenly snatching the nylon string from her hands. "Anya, you're not tying anybody up. I'm tired of you constantly indulging in your insane fantasies."

Anya got up, her eyes narrowing. "You better watch what you're saying, my boy…" She obviously wasn't used to someone standing up to her or interrupting her "work."

"You leave this girl alone," Mighty said firmly, standing his ground.

"Who are you to speak to me like this? What experience do you have in matters of war? What are you, twenty? Twenty-one?"

"That's not important," said Mighty. "Just leave Amy alone." Though he was still young at twenty-two years of age, Mighty was not really an insecure youth. He wasn't shy and introverted, and at the same time he was not overconfident and proud, never displayed any authority, and only deployed the little temper he had to come to the defense of his friends. Amy wasn't really his friend since he hadn't seen her in six years, but he didn't see why he would sit back while Anya was shamelessly taking advantage of her. Anya was the kind of character that might get on his nerves, which was amazing since Mighty always accepted everyone in good faith and never held any prejudice against others. His simple, honest, and friendly personality was one of the reasons Knuckles liked and trusted him so much, despite the echidna's habitual shyness and natural suspicion of others.

After a few seconds, Anya threw her hands up in the air. "Fine! Whatever. I don't care." She stepped aside but added, "I will be keeping an eye out for her though, that's for sure. If she tries to escape, I'll take care of it. In more ways than one."

Grimacing at Anya's willingness to have the last word, Mighty then crouched to speak to Amy who was still on sitting on the ground. He obviously noticed she was absolutely terrorized, although he wondered why. "Please, try to not worry about her, she's just a bit crazy," he said. "We'll go back to the camp now, Knuckles should be back as well, you remember him right?"

Amy nodded.

"It'll be fine," he said. "Knuckles is okay, he's my good friend. I'm not sure if he remembers you, but I'll talk to him, if you want. I'm concerned about Tails, I need to find a way to protect him somehow, but you should be okay."

Amy wanted to trust Mighty. She was dying to tell him that she needed to avoid Slug and that she could be killed if she went back to their camp. But unbeknownst to Mighty, Anya was confidently standing a few steps behind him, smiling threateningly at Amy, who was silenced by her tormentor's stare. There was no way Amy could communicate to Mighty what she felt with Anya listening.

Mighty ended up noticing how Amy was not looking at him but behind him, and turned back to see Anya. He looked back and forth at the two women. "Look, I don't really understand what the deal is between you two." He paused for a second, suspicious at how Anya's cool and confident demeanor contrasted with Amy's evident distress. "Well, let's just get back to our people," he concluded, probably hoping Knuckles would have the authority to sort everything out. He looked at Manny, who gave the signal to his men.

"As you wish, handsome," purred Anya, feigning sweetness. As soon as Mighty had turned away, she gave Amy an insidious wink, then stepped away behind her.

At this point, everyone got up and ready to leave for their long march to meet the rest of their party. One of the soldiers jerked Tails back up using his uninjured arm. While anyone else would have found it painful or at least rude and brutal, Tails looked like he didn't even notice.

All of a sudden Amy felt two hands gently but meaningfully grab her shoulders from behind her. She winced because she automatically knew to whom they belonged: the smell, the sensual touch… Anya was standing very close behind her, almost pressing Amy against her chest. Amy flinched at the unbearable feel of this woman lustfully touching her at will, as if she owned her.

"Remember sweetie, I'll be watching you at all times," Anya said softly in her ear. "You better walk straight ahead. If I see you looking over your shoulder just once, you will be _very_ sorry, I promise you," she warned. She then repeated in her ear, this time whispering: "I'll be watching you." She affectionately kissed Amy on the cheek and said, "off you go, dear," giving her a gentle tap on her backside.

A distraught Amy automatically started walking along with Manny's unit. The group was now irresistibly starting its hour-long march to meet the bulk of the Islander force, where its leaders would also be present… including Slug.


	25. The Ultimate Step

**The Ultimate Step**

----

The progress of Manny's group gave the semblance of an odd procession. At its head, serious and professional, was Manny himself, seconded by Mighty as Knuckles' representative. The tiny group of soldiers followed, more or less one by one, most of them keeping watch on Amy and Tails who were walking in the middle, while one of them took it upon himself to carry Moe's dead body. Anya proudly closed the column, occasionally keeping an eye on the one she identified as her personal prisoner – Amy.

The pink hedgehog was going through one of the most painful moments of her life. She had always dreaded this confrontation – yet there was nothing at all she could do now to prevent it. In addition to the emotional devastation she had suffered from her public humiliation mere moments ago, the knowledge that Anya was possibly watching her every move was oppressing beyond measure and kept her paralyzed, disabling any sense of initiative she had once enjoyed. Every step she took was a step towards her demise and went against her every instinct to survive, but she was completely unable to act otherwise, dominated by the perception of Anya's intimidating stare. This overpowering contradiction made her feel like her mind was about to explode.

After about an hour of this agonizing march, the group neared the edge of Borealis. This side of the base's perimeter was determined by a huge U-shaped hangar. The group walked past one of its two side wings, finally reaching the Islander forces' meeting place for today.

Amy immediately noticed the presence of at least a dozen troopers loosely scattered over the field, relaxing after supposedly having accomplished their duty for today. Unconcerned about resting in the open, the Islanders probably figured they already controlled the base, especially now that the rebellious Tails was captured. At a small distance from the approaching unit, one could discern three dominant figures standing on top of a small hill, engaged in a serious conversation: they were none other than the _de facto_ triumvirate heading the force sent by the Floating Island.

Most prominent because of his conspicuous color was Knuckles, the red echidna famous for being the Guardian of the Master Emerald that kept the Floating Island in the air. However difficult it was to distinguish his expression, it was clear Knuckles did not look at his best. Though standing upright, he was not on full form as parts of his body were bandaged and he himself was rather dirty. Considering he had been recently due at the antechamber, his lackluster aspect could be a result of his possible involvement in the explosion heard earlier.

Next to him, a tall and wide bulldog overshadowed his two colleagues with his robust appearance. It was easy to guess he was probably the Captain, considering the leader of the Alpha unit was particularly known for literally _barking_ orders at his minions. His formidable image easily confirmed Mighty's assessment that he was, in practice, the actual leader of the Islander forces.

It was the third figure that immediately grabbed Amy's attention… Slug the Machine. There he was, as silent and determined as she had seen him from afar two days ago, as cool and concentrated as she remembered him from the days of her employment on his ship, as independent and volatile as his reputation had made him.

Amy could hardly walk any further. She vividly imagined the worst. It was only a minute or two until the group was to meet Slug. The last thing she could stand was this irresistible approach towards the creature who represented her doom. If she didn't stop walking, she was done for.

Her prayers seemed answered by a temporary reprieve when the group halted at Manny's command some ten yards before meeting the leaders.

"At ease, guys," he told his men. "Mighty and I will go and give our report.. Trav," he called to the soldier who had been carrying Moe's body, "you should probably come with us. I'd rather have Knuckles and the Captain be the first to learn of Moe's death and let them handle it, than leave it to the Alpha guys to come to their own conclusions… Be sure to watch out for the prisoners, they'll probably be needed in a minute."

"Oh, we will," Anya said mischievously. "We'll keep them fresh and available for Slug to, ah, _interrogate_ them," she assured, loud enough for Amy to hear.

The particular tone of those words aroused Mighty's suspicion; he couldn't help giving Anya a slight frown.

"Come on, Mighty," urged Manny, oblivious to (or unconcerned about) Anya's barely veiled perfidy. Relenting, Mighty left the group with Manny and Trav, while Anya watched them go with satisfaction.

Amy and Tails were forced to sit down, while a trio of Islanders kept close watch upon them. The others strolled around and socialized with their comrades who had been here before their arrival; they could catch up on the news, exchange their experiences of the day, and take a bit of time off, although they carefully avoided speaking to the ever-intimidating Alpha troopers (who had not yet noticed the death of their fellow member).

Anya remained with the three troopers guarding their precious captives, seemingly engaging them in conversation. "Hmmm... Knuckles doesn't look too good now, does he?" she asked for anyone who cared to hear; the soldiers shrugged as a response.

After a few words, Anya turned again to her favorite victim, crouching in order to deal with her; she made certain her head was at a level above Amy's, to ensure her ascendancy over the distressed hedgehog. "So, how are you doing, my sweet?" Her eyes were meaningfully locked on Amy's, which were full of fear. "I'm sorry that little twerp interrupted us earlier, we were just starting to have fun. Oh well… Anyway, do you see these three guys over there?" Anya actually took hold of Amy's chin and pointed it towards the leading trio, forcing Amy to behold her looming nightmare. "You recognize my husband, right? It's been so long since our little boat trip, so I hope you're glad to see him again. Too bad he won't be able to, er… reciprocate that feeling."

Again, Anya's carefully chosen words caused Amy to slightly jolt, though not enough to wrestle her chin out of Anya's grasp.

"My poor baby… I don't know what's going to happen to your pretty face," Anya cooed, turning Amy's head back towards her; she tenderly stroked Amy's cheek, once again feigning benevolence and compassion.

Amy definitely didn't like the feel of Anya hypocritically caressing her face, but she didn't move a muscle; she was much too anxious about Slug's probable revenge to think about protesting against being treated like a baby doll.

Meanwhile, a tight group of a half-dozen Islanders were casually making their way towards Anya, which prompted the mercenary to release Amy and stand up. "Oh, look who's coming over! Come with me, my child, I'll introduce you to them." Though Amy certainly wasn't interested in being "introduced," she didn't have much choice: Anya grabbed her arm and effortlessly jerked her up, dragging Amy towards the six soldiers.

Amy correctly guessed they were all members of the Alpha Unit: their attire, their fighting garb were definitely more impressive than that of the regular soldiers. The way they carried themselves suggested an attitude of ruthless strength, potentially displayed in the violence and atrocities they could produce in war. It was not difficult to guess why the regular soldiers avoided socializing with them – only Anya seemed to hold enough confidence in her invincibility to address the Alpha Unit with negligence.

"Hello boys," the mercenary greeted with her habitual flirtatiousness, releasing Amy who fearfully sat down on the grass behind her.

"Hey Anya," hailed the tallest one, loosely imitated by his comrades. "Congrats on nabbing Sonic's lackey, by the way."

Anya scoffed. "Puh-lease… He's just a little kid. He probably thought he was hot stuff with that gun of his…"

The Alpha soldiers all sniggered, shooting a contemptuous glance at Tails; the kitsune was absent-mindedly sitting a few feet away, still oblivious to his surroundings. "Have you seen Moe? I thought he came along with you guys…"

Anya smiled surreptitiously. "Oh, he did… It turns out he hit a little snag along the way. He had to, ah, _part ways_ with us."

"Huh." The tall Islander looked at his friends; they all shrugged, thinking Moe would probably come back later in the evening just like the rest of the scattered Islander troops. Of course, Anya had intentionally omitted the fact that Moe's whereabouts were not someplace in Borealis, but in the afterlife. Her statement had been technically correct, but Anya definitely enjoyed being the only one aware (save for Amy) of its irony.

"Say, whatever happened to our _dear_ Guardian?" Anya asked. The way she phrased that question seemed to indicate that Knuckles was as valuable to her as a cockroach. "Did he get the Ambrosian Files or what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," replied the tall Alpha soldier. "He just arrived, like, thirty minutes ago… He's been talking to Slug and the Captain ever since. I'm not sure what happened, but from what I hear, Sonic fought him near the chamber with the Ambrosian Files, and they were both hit by the blast of that bomb we heard earlier. I think they were saying Sonic got the full blast. You heard the bomb, right?"

"Oh, I did, sweety," Anya feverishly commented, as if the earthquake subsequent to the explosion had been one pleasant, thrilling rush.

Listening carefully to this conversation despite her constant tension due to Anya's presence, Amy was more than upset by these news. If Knuckles' sturdy body was almost maimed by the blast, Sonic's more fragile constitution could hardly have withstood this shock without any damage. Not only was Sonic's health of concern, but Amy was now confirmed he could not presently come to her aid.

"… I'm pretty sure Knuckles took Sonic back to the forest and left him there, before coming here to brief Slug and the Captain. As for the Ambrosian Files, I have no idea. I guess the Captain will let us know soon."

Amy didn't have time to feel relief at the news of Sonic's survival, because her tormentor then turned to her and patronizingly looked down at her, a vicious smile spread on her face. "Did you hear those exciting news, dearest? It sounds like that boyfriend of yours is a bit out of it… resting back in the forest with some of our troops. Oops, sorry – did I mention boyfriend? I meant ex-boyfriend, it's not like you'll actually _see_ him again," she added, innocently fingering the same knife she had used to terrorize Amy earlier.

These last words significantly augmented Amy's panic and despair: Anya's carefully phrased statement had obviously been a reference to her earlier threat to carve out Amy's eyes. This implicit reminder was purposefully linked to the impending permanent loss of Sonic – at least from Amy's eyes, if they were to be pierced in a moment. The she-mongoose delightfully observed Amy's devastated expression at the mention of Sonic; she perfectly perceived Amy's feelings, as if she could read her mind.

"Who's that?" the tall Alpha furry bluntly asked. "Is that Sonic's girl or something?"

"Naaaaah… That can't be it. Too young, man."

"Unless Sonic is into preteens… He's probably one sick perv'…" The Islanders rudely guffawed at this comment. Their remarks would normally have prompted Amy to hotly protest that she was sixteen already, but at this point she was so frightened by her imminent doom and dismayed by the news of Sonic's defeat that she remained speechless.

"Guys, guys," Anya interjected, "this little girlie… she's that petty thief I told you about the other day."

"That kid? She's the one who nicked the cash from your boat?" Indeed, reduced to her current dismal state, Amy didn't look much like a cunning rogue at present.

"You damn right she is," Anya said, staring at the scared hedgehog, who had to endure the knowledge that all eyes were fixed upon her. "Unfortunately for her, she's now helplessly ensnared in my web…"

Amy's presence definitely seemed to excite the rowdy group of soldiers. "Whoa dude, it's not gonna be a pretty sight when Slug sees her."

"I'd like to see that man. It should be pretty spectacular. I've never seen Slug deal with his enemies before."

"Yeah," nodded another soldier, "it's supposed to be pretty bloody, even for us. You remember that village we burned to the ground last year and what we did to the townsfolk? That's _nothing_ compared to what Slug supposedly does."

"Oh boy, I can't wait! Slug and the Captain should come over soon to interrogate Sonic's stooge, so Slug's gonna see her right then!"

While they talked between themselves about the thrill of the impending massacre, Anya once again turned to her prisoner, her eyes alight with excitement despite her cool manner. "You hear that, my love? In a minute, we'll both find out whether you get to keep the use of your eyes or not. Personally, I wouldn't bet on it. It's too bad you had to stubbornly refuse to repent… I did my best to help you, but you wouldn't accept my generosity and affection for you. Oh well… I suppose I'll just have to deal with the disturbing sight of a cute girl mutilated beyond recognition…"

"You tried to help her after what she did?" asked a bewildered Alpha soldier, having overheard Anya.

"Oh, you know me, I'm always a sucker for cute little girls… Ah me!"

"So I heard," the soldier replied, suggesting Anya's fetishism had gained a certain reputation.

"You see, I even offered her to work for us to pay her debt," Anya explained, pulling out the employment contract from her pocket. Unfolding it for her interlocutor to see, she feigned to ponder it one more time.

"You offered this to her and she actually refused?"

"Yeah, she didn't want it. Whatever. I suppose I don't need this anymore, since she'd rather deal with my husband. It's weird, I would've thought spending a little while in my company was more pleasant then being dismembered limb after limb… and subsequently _buried alive_…"

Technically, Anya was talking to the Alpha soldier, but her speech had been carefully articulated at Amy's intention and had produced the desired effect: Amy was now trembling uncontrollably, sinking into a void of extreme mental anguish. "Yeah, that burying thing is Slug's new hobby these days," Anya casually told the soldier. "He's experimenting, I guess. You know him, always trying to impress me somehow!"

Anya then ostentatiously pulled out a lighter from her pocket, her other hand still holding the paper. Considering the two items, she pretended not to be paying attention to Amy and simply shrugged. "Oh well… It's not of any use to anyone now. Here it goes."

Amy watched in horror as Anya produced an ominous flame from the lighter. The contract was about to be destroyed forever. Her _passport to freedom_, as Anya had put it earlier. The only chance for Amy to avoid mutilation and being buried alive in the immediate future. The flame was dangerously approaching the sheet of paper…

"_No!_"

Anya stopped her hand's motion, although the flame kept going. She subtly raised her eyebrows at Amy.

"Please, no!! Please!" Amy desperately pleaded. "Please, please, don't, please!"

"Darling, please make up your mind. You want this or not?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Anya extinguished her lighter and crossed her arms. "Tell me dear, why should I give you this chance to survive? You snubbed my generosity earlier, and I daresay I'm rather offended at your arrogant sassiness."

"I don't wanna die, Mrs. Anya," Amy wailed. "Please, please, I just want to live!!" Driven by an irrepressible force, Amy groveled pathetically at Anya's feet. She literally crawled at her boots, whimpering and begging for Anya's pity.

Her arms crossed, Anya was still standing dominantly before Amy and looking down at her imploring prey. Anya's expression remained stoic, although a neutral observer might probably notice how her scintillating eyes clearly indicated she delighted in her mastery over this girl and wished to prolong the moment. "So you _do_ repent after all?"

Amy frantically nodded, unable to act otherwise.

Anya sighed. "All right dear. Here it is," she said, handing the paper to Amy along with a pen; Amy weakly held them, trembling from head to toe. "Normally I wouldn't give you this final chance, but it seems you've caught me in a good mood. I like you, little Amy Rose. You're very lucky that I'm so good-hearted, because worthless, traitorous vermin like the thief that you are don't deserve such a blessing."

Amy looked at Anya and then back at the contract, focusing on the spot where she had to sign.

And finally, she saw the truth.

Amy was scum. She was a sinner. Anya had uttered the word _traitorous_, which resonated in Amy's mind. Only this morning had she freely and deliberately backstabbed her trusting friend Joey. She was a thief. She was an ingrate. She had no morality. She was a lowlife, a despicable parasite to the world.

Not only was she scum – she was also utterly ruined, reduced to a shell, a mere ghost of the existence and fulfillment she had vainly tried to attain in Ambrosia by pursuing Sonic. Her strength had been negated, her friends neutralized, her privacy violated and destroyed, her spirit wrecked. Her dignity was gone – Anya had taken it away by abusing her in front of the troops. Amy had nothing. She was nothing, except, as Anya had meaningfully put it earlier, a lamb to the slaughter.

Next to her, Anya was the supreme incarnation of nature, the irresistible power to decide the fate of the helpless, backed by the celestial might of the creature known as Slug. Anya's deep and potent words amounted to nothing else than truth, absolute truth. Anya _was_ virtue – Amy now realized morality was the divine will of the strong. Now at the end of her Ambrosian adventure, Amy had finally learned the ways of the world: the only thing of substance to laypeople was survival, freely granted or denied by the clement will of the powerful. In this case, Anya's will dealt the irrefutable verdict that Amy was an insignificant, pathetic child who had to face punishment for the act of stealing. Anya had been right all along: her stance had been merciful and generous, and Amy was foolishly ungrateful, not realizing until now the discrepancy between her immorality and Anya's righteous purity. From the top of her pedestal, the omniscient Anya was spontaneously and selflessly offering Amy the long and laborious path to penitence and salvation under her benevolent guidance. Amy could only accept and submit. Her transformation was complete.

Amy took the pen and willingly signed her name. To even consider refusing was not an option; Amy's obedience was now carved in stone. Sheepishly raising her head towards Anya, she handed the signed contract with a trembling hand.

Folding the paper and placing it back in her pocket, Anya smiled fondly, trying to temper her internal jubilation at having irreversibly broken Amy's will. Her ultimate victory finally reached its entirety and crowning achievement with the hedgehog girl's permanent subservience to her supremacy.

Anya used this moment to gather the Alpha soldiers' attention through a simple but clear hand gesture to indicate they should listen to her; all six of them were recovering from the disappointment of Amy's submission, which meant Slug might not display his revenge after all.

"Kneel," Anya ordered her new servant.

Amy automatically obliged.

At this moment, Anya intensely stared at Amy and forcefully uttered her command, her voice formal and uncompromising. "Do you, Amy Rose the Hedgehog, solemnly swear, before the almighty forces of nature, to serve me, Anya Mongoose, in any and every way I command you until I release you from my service, under penalty of torture and death should you break your oath? Say 'I swear'!"

Amy could not hesitate anymore. She had reached a point of no return. "I-I swear," she stammered.

"Say – it – louder!" Anya imperiously ordered.

"I swear!"

This time, the she-mongoose was satisfied; all of the present Alpha troopers had heard Amy pronounce her oath. "Rise."

Amy slowly got to her feet, her tense body as upright as a pole. Lord and vassal now faced each other, the latter subjugated by the mercenary's sovereignty. They were standing barely a foot apart; Amy wished to take a step back, but found herself completely unable to do anything unless Anya ordered her to. Anya's psychological ascendancy was confirmed by the few inches she held over Amy, the difference evident due to their close position.

Anya slowly stroked Amy's cheek once again; Amy didn't react, her frightened eyes penitently looking up at her mistress. Anya moved her head even closer, until she landed a significant kiss on Amy's lips.

"Good girl," Anya said after pulling away, satisfied with the she-hedgehog's docility. She had just symbolically sealed Amy's fealty forever. "_Always_ remember your oath. If you choose to break it, you know you will endure the most painful death imaginable." Anya's firm expression slightly eased, and she fondly held Amy's head by gently pressing her hands on both of Amy's cheeks. "You _will_ love me, my sweet child. You already do, deep in your heart, even if you don't realize it yet. You love me because you know for a fact that I selflessly chose to love, protect, and save you even though you didn't deserve it. I freely took it upon myself to show you the light and educate you as to your true submissive nature. In time, you will implore me to lovingly cradle you, allow you to kiss my feet, let you sleep with me… You will genuinely yearn for those special privileges. You know this, right?"

Completely hypnotized by Anya's powerful stare, Amy sincerely nodded her head. She believed every word her mistress uttered, for they couldn't be anything else than the truth.

"Oh, and by the way…" Anya suddenly slapped Amy's face, gently but firmly. "You don't look at me unless I give you permission to. Is that understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," Amy said shamefully, looking down.

"That's also a privilege I might grant you occasionally, if you come to deserve it – to behold my beautiful and loving figure."

Amy dutifully nodded.

"Very well," Anya concluded, releasing Amy. "I'll see what I can do with my husband. He's rather short-tempered these days, so maybe he'll kill you anyways, but at least you have a chance. A fifty-fifty chance, I guess."

"Let's hope Slug is feeling vengeful," the tall Alpha soldier said.

"Now, now, boys, be nice. I know worthless scum like Amy deserve death, but we need to be generous and understanding."

"I don't think these words are part of Slug's vocabulary," the Alpha soldier wittily replied.

Anya giggled. "Well, he owes me a bit of cash from our last poker game, so who knows."

"It sounds like you have a hard time handling him," the soldier suggested with a slight cheek.

"That's okay, dear. He certainly can't handle _me_, so it evens out." The mercenary and her friends started walking away, although Anya briefly turned her head back and told Amy: "go sit by your orange friend, dearie. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Amy compliantly walked over to Tails and took a seat next to him, although she failed to speak to or look at him in any way. Amy didn't feel like Tails' friend anymore; she was Anya's servant and nothing else. The only things she had left were her total devotion for Anya and her fear of Slug; as a result, Tails, Sonic, and Joey had been indefinitely torn away from her identity.

Under the spell of her capitulation, Amy was left to await with anxiety Slug's final judgment. She was terrified at its outcome, for she had no idea whether he would choose to spare her or not. Her life was in his hands and she could only hope for his divine mercy. She had no moral claim for salvation over doom – she could only passively wait and hope Slug would opt for the former in a spontaneous burst of kindness.

In a matter of minutes, she would be fixed on her fate: at best, she would remain Anya's permanent servant. At worst… Amy would endure a long and painful annihilation.


	26. Crossroads

**Crossroads**

----

Amy's mind was so immersed in her impending fate that she failed to notice the commotion that progressively developed among the Islander forces. Moments before, the scattered 25-some crowd had been peacefully resting and enjoying the sunny afternoon, but right now confusion was in their minds. It started when one of the soldiers, seen only a minute ago lighting a cigarette near the building, had been spotted lying on the ground, apparently unconscious.

Their concern still oblivious to Amy, a few troopers ran over to their friend to check out what happened, while the rest frowned, including those close to Tails and Amy. One of them asked: "what the hell is wrong with Slick?" His mate just shrugged.

The soldiers loosely approaching Slick's comatose body made the mistake of losing their coherence as a group, which proved unfortunate when the mayhem started. Something – or someone – was causing disorder, striking the few that tried to reach the spot where their friend lied immobile.

Amy finally remarked something was going on – even Tails was looking up by now. Although it was difficult to discern what was happening due to the distance, not to mention the rapidity of the battle, Amy noticed amidst the crowd of Islanders a _blue blur_. _That_ was causing the havoc. Amy was stunned – wasn't Sonic supposed to be wounded and resting somewhere in the forest under the intense watch of his wretched foes? Or had he waken up at the last minute, and, intuitively sensing the danger that befell her and Tails, come to the rescue, however foolish it seemed to try and engage a force of more than twenty combatants armed to the teeth? Then again, "danger is my middle name," Sonic always cockily reminded to anyone who would suffer hearing his motto.

But as the dust cleared somewhat and the action moved a bit closer to her spot, Amy distinguished the blur a bit better and soon understood it wasn't Sonic.

No, it was Joey. Amy had never actually seen him fight before – she had seen him warm up for action, dash to fight the invaders, and even lick his wounds after a battle, but this was something new. For the first time, Amy caught a true glimpse of the fearsome warrior that both Sonic and the Islanders called El.

Indeed, Joey was on a roll. Despite being locked in a fight against an impressive number of experienced soldiers, he skillfully managed to use his numerical inferiority to his advantage. His adversaries had either pulled out their firearms or were rushing to meet him in hand-to-hand combat, but Joey's swift movements ensured he always dealt with them one at a time. The soldiers charged one after the other, and Joey's agility and kung-fu skills allowed him to knock them off one by one; to dissuade the Islanders from shooting, he simply used one of his victims as a "furry shield" (the Mobians' version of the human shield). If the common soldiers were fooled, even the Alpha troopers, for all their experience, were stunned – they were used to either infantry charges, covert missions, and brutal interrogations of civilians for knowledge of the whereabouts of terrorists, but an attack by one man was as ludicrous as it was unusual.

Her arms crossed, Anya hadn't moved from her spot, but was intensely fixated on the development of the battle. She raised an eyebrow – if one inspected her face closely, it might have been possible to discern a very subtle trace of admiration; unlike the Alpha troopers, Anya knew very well what it was like to take on a whole crowd of hostiles, for she and her husband had previously engaged in many heroic charges worthy of Cyrano de Bergerac. If Anya considered the entire world – except for Slug – to be beneath her dignity (even Sonic and Knuckles were no more than a bunch of lazy hippies), at this moment she might have acknowledged Joey to be the only creature to slightly emerge from the lowly rabble and (vainly) attempt to attain the nobleness of the mercenary couple.

Joey's tactic couldn't last too long – he knew he had to diversify his approach to keep his opponents mystified. He promptly fled his attackers, not forgetting to seize the body in front of him, its collapse due to Joey's recent uppercut in its stomach (the unfortunate Islander, like many of his comrades before Joey's attack, had imprudently unbuttoned his black rubber vest due to its absorption of the afternoon sun's heat). However, he didn't head for the building, rather darting nearer towards Amy and Tails' spot. It soon became clear he wasn't interested in that either – still carrying the Islander with ease, he instead went for the mound where the three leaders stood.

"After him! Don't shoot, he's got Tex!" shouted his pursuers.

Joey didn't get far, though: before long, a dangerous Anya was standing in his path.

Reacting to this new hazard, Joey responded by throwing Tex in her direction; however, the Islander's heftiness slowed his trajectory, and Anya had amply the time to jump up and avoid the "projectile" with the grace she had displayed when fighting Amy. Actually landing from her jump upon Tex's body, she held up her left forearm to indicate to her comrades around her that they should hold their fire; she was ready to duel with the undefeated keeper of Borealis.

For a few seconds, none of the two made a move, save for Anya who stoically cracked her knuckles (probably for show and effect). She then lunged at her competitor, who predictably dodged the incoming mercenary. They were soon engaged in hand-to-hand combat, with Anya showing more aggression than the Ambrosian, who for the moment simply cared to block her simultaneous punches and kicks with his limbs.

Watching the fight with great attention, the Islanders slowly closed in around the two duelers, their firearms brandished. It was difficult to distinguish the specifics of their fight due its quickness. None of the two touched the other, until Joey's fingers actually met Anya's cheek – his nail superficially but symbolically pierced it. Anya moved her head back but didn't retaliate, for Joey had retreated a few feet, awaiting Round Two of their brawl.

Though she didn't feel a thing at her slight wound, Anya clenched her teeth – after a few seconds, a tiny drop of blood came down from her cheek. It had no physical significance whatsoever, but it was an affront to the proud she-mongoose: who was this impudent boy who thought he could strike a lady of her stature? Anya slowly brought out her handkerchief and wiped the blood from her cheek in a move reminiscent of her confrontation with Amy a few hours before.

Fuming, Anya rushed once again toward the Ambrosian; the two were instantly locked in a fierce combat, swiftly deploying their respective kung-fu skills. Their expertise was remarkable but evenly matched, and none of the two seemed to have the upper hand over the other. Joey silence's was consistent with his usual taciturn demeanor, but it was clear Anya's frustration was getting the better of her, and the spectators soon heard the mercenary aggressively growl from time to time.

At one point, the increasingly bellicose Anya managed to land a slight blow on Joey's shoulder; the hedgehog fell back a few steps, seemingly destabilized. Sensing her advantage, the she-mongoose instantly jumped up with the intent of landing a powerful kick on Joey's wavering body; at the last second however, Joey moved out of her trajectory but swept his foot over her landing site to trip her. Anya fell over; before she could get up, Joey quickly jumped on her stomach. Still mistress of herself, Anya only let out a small yelp while Joey decided to take flight, not forgetting to seize Tex as his "furry shield" to ensure his safety until he was out of firing range.

Their fight was over. None had wounded the other, but Joey had sufficiently frustrated his foe to symbolically claim victory. Her eyes narrowed, Anya furiously watched Joey speed towards the hangar. Protected by the inanimate Tex, the Ambrosian reached a ladder and climbed it all the way up to a platform the size of a small balcony, located a few yards above the ground and emerging from a small, 5-feet wide opening from the building.

It was over. Joey was making his exit, about to disappear from the Islanders' sight. The troopers had all moved past Anya in chase of the rapid hedgehog, but Joey only needed to take one more step to make his way into the building. His attack had just been a raid, a practice which he specialized in and had in this case used on a much greater scale – it only outlined the ease with which he had repulsed his aggressors the previous days, when they had been moving about the base one by one.

Still holding the dazed Tex for protection, Joey stood on the platform and looked down at his enemies, who had loosely gathered to challenge him once again. The Alpha troopers were the most vocal, due to their habitual belligerence.

"Come on! Come back and fight like a real man!"

"You want a piece of me, huh? Huh?"

"Fight us like a true warrior, you coward!"

They were soon bolstered in their verbal flames by the conspicuous arrival of the Captain, seemingly frustrated beyond measure by the success of Joey's raid. However, this increasingly muddled clamor failed to produce any reaction from the Ambrosian.

Having watched the fight from her spot, Amy wondered whether Joey had seen her. His attack seemed unrelated to her presence or their former friendship, because it was continuous with Joey's previous efforts to repel the invaders of his home turf, whose defense he regarded as his duty. Amy perceived Joey's current neglect of her as another revealing sign of her invisibility and insignificance, for this was the first time since their acquaintance he had not heeded her whenever the two were in proximity.

It thus came as a slight surprise to her when, apparently contemplating one last time his jeering challengers, Joey actually looked beyond them and set his eyes upon her. Though they were separated by at least fifty yards, their gazes meaningfully met. None other than the two hedgehogs noticed their connection. Amy focused more and more intensely on her ex-friend, feeling as if the sounds of the Islanders' insults progressively dwindled and Joey's presence took precedence.

Their exchange was not one of reconciliation; rather, it summarized the short but dense history of their friendship and its end. Joey's face was as honest as ever, translating a curious mixture of compassion and disappointment. He couldn't overturn the consummation of their rupture, for they both knew she had let him down thrice: she had stolen his precious Blythe key, unilaterally announced the end of their friendship when he was most vulnerable, and most of all spontaneously betrayed him to Sonic. Still, Joey wasn't vengeful and cared to recognize Amy's existence, while expressing understanding with regards to her history – yet this time, he couldn't come back to her.

Their long but sincere eye contact seemed to serve as the close of a friendship with great potential, but that was not meant to be. Amy wasn't the friend Joey had been looking for. Amy sensed this well and regretted her acts, but was resigned to their inevitability. She now knew she couldn't have been a true friend, realizing her morality had been an illusion: she had acted out of her interest. Joey could have been the one to disprove this, but she had chosen another route. It seemed a fitting conclusion that the last person who had believed in her was acknowledging her one last time before his final departure from her life. It served as perhaps the last remnant of the memory of when Amy believed, on the surface, in herself – before inevitably sinking in an unfortunate but deserved fate of suffering and annihilation.

With a look of resignation, Joey finally took his eyes off his ex-friend and prepared to leave. However, as he was turning around, he caught the Captain's gaze – the Alpha leader's face was coy and confident, which seemed out of place after the defeat of his troops. His evil smile spelled an imminent danger.

Something was wrong. Joey sensed it. Letting go of Tex's body, he flung around with his trademark speed before the danger could manifest itself –

– WHACK –

– only to be greeted by a potent fist decisively smashed in his face, coming from _inside_ the building – courtesy of Slug the Machine.

The Captain's taunts had merely been a diversion. Conniving with the Alpha leader, Slug had used the time to infiltrate the building from elsewhere and work his way towards the opening where Joey was about to make his exit, striking him at the most unexpected place. Momentarily captivated by Amy, Joey's acute sense of hearing had, for once, failed him.

Slug's punch sent Joey flying, falling from the platform and landing roughly on the ground. Before he could get up, Slug had already jumped to the ground and savagely kicked Joey's body. The soldiers all moved back to form a large circle around the two antagonists – a circle so wide that its perimeter extended to Tails' and Amy's spot. This was Slug's final fight with El, which he would necessarily win, so no one was supposed to interfere. Slug was a dedicated professional: the purpose of his employment was nothing less than El's death and he was finally fulfilling his contract. In addition, this spectacle was to be watched soberly, with the utmost deference and respect for the intense involvement of Slug, always an icon to men of war; proud to witness the show of such a prestigious figure, the crowd of soldiers consequently observed a religious silence.

Slug's attack had a very strong effect on Amy: she was absolutely horrified to see him in action so suddenly. Ever since she had heard Sonic mentioning Slug's presence in Borealis two weeks before, she had imagined what violence he could unleash – but this was the first time she actually beheld it with her own eyes. Completely paralyzed, she could only awe at the display of his divinefury.

And indeed, it was a sight that was even worse than what she had envisioned. Slug was absolutely merciless. With Joey nearly unconscious, he was free to attack him as fiercely as he could, taking revenge for both Joey's resistance to his strength two days before and Joey's affront on his wife a few minutes ago. He kicked and punched with a passion, and occasionally lifted Joey's light and hapless body to throw it forcefully against the wall of the building. It was not a fight – it was a massacre.

Slug was a monster – but an immortal monster, a supreme incarnation of the wrath of the powerful. Joey's fate was a glimpse of what could happen to Amy shortly, when Slug would take revenge on her for her theft, which could only be a more serious offense than Joey's previous resistance.

Amy felt the brutality all the more vividly, because the victim was Joey. She knew Joey, she had seen him at the height of both his strength and his vulnerability – she had known him intimately. And thus she literally _felt_ each and every blow he received at Slug's hands.

Every time Slug threw a kick in his ribs – she felt that kick in her mind, as if she were in Joey's place, because she knew her fate could be similar. Every physical blow upon Joey was a psychological blow upon her.

It's as if she were becoming one with Joey. Hadn't she wished recently for Joey to endure Slug's rage _in her place_? There she had it. Joey was being killed in front of her very eyes. Yet his fate was her fate. His death was her death. She felt in her heart what Joey physically suffered.

And it had to stop.

It had to stop, but Joey was helpless to make it stop. Slug wasn't over. His attack was relentless. He wouldn't stop until the complete annihilation of his enemy.

Amy couldn't make it stop either – she could do nothing but watch the vengeful and deadly ire of a living god. She was paralyzed.

But her constant paralysis increasingly ran against the growing need in her heart – the need to stop the bloodshed. The need to stop Joey's murder. The need to _save Joey_.

Amy trembled uncontrollably, torn between the forced silence imposed by her worship of Slug and the intolerable murder of Joey. _Please, stop. Stop killing him_.

Slug didn't stop. He was still busy. Joey's resistance was but a memory; he was unconscious. Slug kept kicking his body.

_Stop killing him! Please!_

Her wish washopeless. As overwhelming as it was in her mind, it remained vain and futile.

Yet its futility only increased its intensity. Something was happening in her mind. Her wish to end the violence unleashed at Joey was becoming more and more powerful – it nearly overcame her actual terror of the mercenary. She couldn't dare to do anything, but the contradiction in her heart was reaching a breaking point.

_Stop killing Joey. Please, just stop!_

Slug kept kicking. His savagery didn't abate.

Something had to happen. Something had to come out.

Something did come out… Slowly, unmistakably, naturally…

"_STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPP_!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She had yelled now. She had howled.

It was a natural resolution of the fundamental opposition between her two overpowering values: Slug's divinity and Joey's safety. Previously a mere part of Amy's subconscious, the latter's increased importance to infinity had eventually triumphed. She had now only one truth, one goal, one purpose: the need to save Joey _no matter what_.

Everyone had heard her. Everyone turned with evident shock. Slug's murdering of a powerful rival was sacred and sober, and Amy had committed blasphemy. _Who is this teenage girl who thinks she can challenge a living legend?_

The only person who didn't seem to have heard Amy was Slug himself, still busy beating Joey to death.

Anya, for her part, also acknowledged Amy's cry, but didn't express consternation – as usual, she responded with her habitual scorn. "Oops – I'm sorry," she said, feigning compassion. "Was this boy – I mean, this _cadaver_ – a friend of yours? Oh dear, I am _so_ sorry," she mocked, raising her hand to her mouth, a falsely innocent expression on her face.

At those words, Amy glanced at her, then back at Slug, going back and forth between the two. All at once, she was able to see them for what they truly were.

The illusion of their godliness went up in smoke. Slug was not a celestial force of nature, but an insane murderer. Anya was not an omniscient and irrefutable deity, but an odious sadist. They could have no morality after all, for they monstrously contradicted Amy's one unquestionable value to which she now clung with a passion: Joey's safety.

As a result, her fear of Slug was instantly gone. She was sane, she knew Slug was dangerous, but she was not at all paralyzed by his presence anymore. All that counted was removing this egregious threat on Joey's life by any means necessary. Whatever value she had held with regards to Slug's invincibility and Anya's sovereignty was replaced by something much stronger. She didn't care about the menace over her existence any longer; only Joey's mattered now.

Amy was thus utterly Liberated from her terror of Slug the Machine.


	27. Sincerely Yours

**Sincerely Yours**

----

Amy frenetically looked around her to evaluate whatever might be at her disposal. She had to find something – or someone – to save Joey.

Then it hit her. She remembered something unthinkable in her previous mental disposition, but that was now obvious. _Joey's gun_.

Of course. Joey's gun was still securely attached to the bottom of her knapsack. When her captors had searched her, Anya had only held the bag upside down to unload its contents, but Amy had previously_fastened the gun to its base_ and it had stayed there the whole time, hidden from their sight. Amy had previously assumed her possessions had all been examined – she had subconsciously sensed they had been metaphysically reappropriated by the Islanders – but with her lucidity back, she could now remember Joey's gun remained untouched.

Amy opened her knapsack and quickly rummaged it, which once again provoked Anya's amused disdain.

"What, so you're going to write another mushy entry about your friend blown to pieces? Oh dear, I simply can't wait to read some more of that pre-pubertal junk."

However, Anya's grin soon vanished from her face, because she heard the menacing click of Amy unlocking the safety, even as Amy's hand holding the gun was still inside the knapsack.

Anya didn't have the time to react. Amy immediately pulled the gun out and aimed it at Anya's head. This woman had no right to mock Joey in any way. Joey was sacred, he couldn't be killed or insulted by anyone, least of all this disgrace of a woman.

Anya blinked. She didn't have the time to make a decision – that Amy could ever turn out dangerous was most shocking and unexpected.

BANG.

BANG.

Anya instantly fell over on her back, two bullets in her head. She was dead before she hit the ground.

This time, Slug reacted – as did the rest of the group, who had not expected at all their prisoner could be armed. Before they had the time to pull out their firearms, Amy's gun was already firmly pointed in Slug's direction.

Although from a distance, Amy and Slug now faced each other. Very briefly. The mercenary could not have been more stunned; in an instant, he had to deal with both the death of his loved one and the immediate danger on his life.

However, Amy was focused. She had never been this focused before. Joey's life was on the line – the only obstacle was that hateful, savage mongoose who should never have the chance to live after what he did to Joey.

Despite the extreme circumstances, Slug reacted quicker than his wife by attempting a sudden dive; his reflexes as a fighter took over the intense grief he could hold over Anya's death, at least for the moment. Amy instinctively responded by pulling the trigger.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

Thrice hit, Slug wobbled for a second or two before decisively collapsing on the grass. His inanimate body lied face up, never to rise again. He was dead.

Amy's archenemy was no more. She immediately dropped the gun – there was no need to hold on to it anymore.

She started running towards Joey. She had to save him.

"FREEZE!" a dozen voices shouted simultaneously.

Amy looked around her – and found a swarm of guns pointed in her direction, the soldiers all forming a wide circle around her. She had to stop running: she knew she couldn't aid Joey in any way if the Islanders shot her.

Yet in her mind, it was hard to presently comprehend their hostility. Couldn't they understand the only important thing at hand was to save the agonizing boy dying from his innumerable wounds?

"Don't move!" yelled the Captain imperiously. "If you make the slightest move, you'll be dead before you know it!"

Amy stared blankly at him and his cohort. This situation was absurd. Joey was in mortal danger. She couldn't help yelling: "there's a boy over there who's dying, you morons!!!"

"SHUT IT! You've KILLED Slug the Machine! Do you realize what you actually did, you little bitch?"

"I've shot a murderer, big deal!" Amy shot back. "Now if you don't want anyone ELSE to die, let me take care of the boy!"

"Shut up!" he howled. "If I hear one more peep out of you, you'll wish you'd never been born! Boys, seize this witch! I want her immediately bound, gagged, and blindfolded!"

A trio of Alpha soldiers menacingly approached Amy from behind, with the intent of brutally immobilizing her. Amy's anger was immense – these stupid, insensitive, despicable people were keeping her from her mission. She felt an intense, burning hatred towards this hateful bully who didn't even have a name.

"HOLD IT –" said another voice behind them. The soldiers stopped in their tracks and looked up.

It was Knuckles. Having stepped back during the fight due to his injuries, he finally intervened with whatever authority he still held over this disastrous mission, probably informed of Amy's presence and odd behavior by Mighty. The two members of the Chaotix broke through the circle and approached the Captain.

"Let her go, Captain. She's harmless. She's unarmed."

"Are you crazy? She shot Slug!" he replied furiously.

"I'll deal with her. Guys, put down your weapons. Let me try dealing with her. I know this girl."

Knuckles' parley with the Captain produced a curious grumble from the crowd, who was unsure about what to do. Slug's death had been most unexpected and the lack of decisive reaction was only natural to a group that had always assumed the proud and redoubtable mongoose to be an invincible living legend, whose improbable death could only occur at the hands of a titan rather than a weak and insignificant teenager.

On the contrary, Amy was perfectly alert. She knew very well what she had done: it was only a step in her mission to save her friend. She thus astutely perceived the confusion around her, no doubt helped by two leaders' contradictory postures; their uncertainty was her opportunity to go to Joey, whose condition was probably getting more desperate by the second. She started to step away towards her friend, which was a bold but fortunate decision, for her assessment of the Islanders' hesitancy proved accurate. The Captain argued with Knuckles, and the soldiers couldn't act before they had made their decision, so Amy was left free to go, even if some Islanders – especially Alpha troopers – carefully kept her in their sight.

Amy finally reached the body of her best friend. She nearly cried at Joey's seemingly hopeless condition. Lying unconscious, he was bleeding profusely at many spots. Amy gently turned his body so he could lie on his back. She knelt at his side and felt his pulse, which gave her a glimmer of hope – it was still beating, though very weakly.

"Joey… Please… Please wake up…"

Joey didn't budge. He hadn't heard her.

"Joey, I'm so sorry… I know it's too late to apologize… But I should never…"

She didn't finish. She knew her speech was futile, not just because Joey couldn't hear her, but also because her words could never overturn what she had done to him.

She only knew that her previous perception of the impossibility of their friendship had been wrong. Despite what she had thought, in her heart she cared for Joey more than she could imagine.

And now he was maimed and disfigured for life, if not dying.

But not all hope was lost. She needed to do whatever she could to save him. Something could be done. She had heard the Islanders had brought a few medics with them.

She looked up for help and found Knuckles walking in her direction, while the soldiers behind him were staring at her from a distance, their firearms still ready for use.

"Look! He's dying! We have to save him!" she anxiously told Knuckles.

Knuckles kneeled as well to speak to her. "Hello, Amy Rose…" Knuckles wasn't very good with people usually, let alone when he had to greet someone whose friend was about to die.

Amy nodded automatically, although she didn't care for his greeting whatsoever.

"Uh… I'm Knuckles. I knew you a long time ago. But, whatever." He then looked at Joey's wretched body, surveying his many wounds.

"Is there something we can do?" Amy wailed.

Knuckles didn't reply at first. He also felt Joey's pulse, but didn't express hope. "There's no way… It'll take an hour – at least – to get him back to camp… He's probably… you know… the hemorrhage…"

"What?" asked Amy in a small, desperate voice.

Knuckles shook his head. He inspected the blue hedgehog's body more closely, which only reinforced his adamant expression. Knowing Knuckles could be the key to saving Joey's life, Amy acutely followed his reaction but couldn't take in the realization that all hope was fading.

A minute later, Knuckles' answer came crashing down like a jackhammer.

"He's done."

Amy stared at Joey's body. She couldn't believe it. She had failed. Her heart was immediately filled with an overpowering mixture of guilt, loss, and emptiness. She had freed herself from oppression for only a few minutes, only to find out the one thing that gave her life a true meaning past her exile was gone. Overcome with grief, she clutched Joey's maimed body and issued a long, seemingly unending wail, a hoarse and bestial lament.

Very disturbed by such a raw, poignant expression of sorrow, Knuckles felt helpless to provide consolation. He managed to utter: "I'm sorry, Amy. Was this fellow… a friend of yours?"

Amy had not even heard him. She felt her world turn into a lifeless void where the figures around her were simply blurred into silence, peripheral to Joey's dead body.

Meanwhile, Mighty had taken the initiative to gather Tails, anticipating a possible hostility of Knuckles' host; the kitsune reluctantly followed him as they joined up with Knuckles.

"Knux, they're pretty restless," Mighty told him silently, "we should probably wrap it up soon." Glancing at Joey's body, he asked, "is he alive?" Knuckles shook his head.

Tails noticed Knuckles' answer and looked at Joey's lifeless body and its many wounds. The violence his enemy had endured was a sight to behold, at a level completely estranged from Tails' previous defiance of the Ambrosian. Though obviously disturbed by this surreal spectacle, Tails kept his thoughts to himself.

"Knux, let's just send these guys away and head out. Maybe I could leave with Tails and Amy, if you still have to get the Ambrosian Files."

At those words, Knuckles expressed a slight discomfort. "Mighty, I forgot to tell you… Before you arrived, I was just telling Slug and the Captain about the Ambrosian Files… They're destroyed."

Mighty blinked. "Whoa. What?" Amy hadn't heard Knuckles, but Tails looked up slightly; though he personally didn't care one bit about the Ambrosian Files, he still knew they were the reason he was in Ambrosia in the first place.

"Yeah. Earlier today, Sonic and I, we fought… There was this bomb…"

Knuckles didn't have time to elaborate, for their conversation was interrupted by the ominous approach of the Islanders, headed by the Alpha Unit and their impressive leader, the Captain. After a period of shock, they seemed to have recovered a bit and were intent on retaking control of the situation.

"What's up?" asked Knuckles, facing his troops.

"Step aside, Guardian," said the Captain.

"May I know why?"

"We're taking these two hostiles with us as POWs. Step aside, I said. Boys – seize the fox and the girl!"

The Alpha soldiers tried to obey their leader's command, but Knuckles and Mighty retreated close to Tails and Amy and blocked the soldiers' way. Amy was still kneeling next to Joey's body, while Tails instinctively stepped behind the two Chaotix. "I don't think I can let you do that," said Knuckles.

"I don't care what you think, echidna. Now get out of the way before we make you."

Though diminished by his present state and his lack of authority towards his own troops, not to mention being dramatically outnumbered with only the loyal Mighty by his side, Knuckles held his ground. "No one's taking these two as prisoners. I told you I'd deal with them. I don't need you to handle the situation."

Knuckles' cool tone didn't convince the Alpha Unit – on the contrary, they were growing all the more restless.

"She killed Slug and Anya!" shouted one of them.

"And _he_ killed Moe!" said another one, beside himself with rage. Of course, Moe had been a member of the Alpha Unit.

"They have to _pay_ for what they did!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's get 'em!!"

"You see, Guardian," the Captain added, "we _are_ taking them with us – whether you like it or not. You never had control of the situation – under your watch, the Ambrosian Files were shattered, and Slug and Anya were murdered. It's time someone else stepped up to handle this."

Knuckles was breathing hard; he had to reassert his authority somehow. "Now listen, everybody. These two kids" – he loosely pointed behind him at Tails and Amy – "are under my protection… and so anybody who lays a finger on them answers to me!"

This last comment produced an evil grin from the Captain, who dangerously stepped closer to Knuckles, nearly overshadowing him, thanks to his tall figure. "I'll answer to you, echidna… If you won't yield to us…"

Knuckles remained firm and uncompromising in the face of the Alpha Unit's attempt to intimidate him. "Stay where you are, Captain."

Yet his stance didn't affect the Alpha soldiers. They all eagerly watched the Captain's challenge, ready to support their leader against the feeble echidna. They had to have their revenge on Tails and Amy.

"So you won't step aside, huh? You want to play ball?" At this provocation the Captain rudely lifted the echidna off the ground by the neck, confident in his physical superiority and in the echidna's exhaustion due to the injuries he sustained from the bomb a few hours back.

The Captain's aggression immediately produced Mighty's indignation, who shouted: "put him down, you fool!" But his call was in vain – it was drowned by the jeers and the taunts of the Alpha soldiers who avidly encouraged their leader.

"Guardian, YOU – ARE – DISMISSED. _I_ am in charge now. You had better stay out of my way."

His legs dangling in the air, Knuckles didn't respond at first, but he had had enough of this nonsense. Of course, his strength hadn't actually vanished; he just had to find an opportunity to display it. And he had found it.

– WHACK –

Before the Captain knew it, he was down on the ground, reeling from a masterful sucker-punch delivered by the Guardian of the Master Emerald, thanks to the powerful gloves whose ends had defined his moniker.

"Why you…" The Captain got to his feet and furiously rushed towards Knuckles – it was not everyday someone resisted his will.

Knuckles simply met him by delivering another blow to his jaw, which sent the bulldog flying upward – Knuckles completed his act by punching his assailant still in the air, sending him two yards away rolling on the grass.

His demonstration over, the echidna coolly cracked his knuckles. The unexpected exhibition of his strength had been literally jaw-dropping to the crowd.

"Now," said Knuckles, "as I said, anyone who touches these two kids answers to me. Is there anyone _else_ interested?"

The Alpha soldiers grumbled, but no one stepped up. Though their might and numerical strength was probably more than enough to challenge Knuckles, they were taken aback by this sudden reminder of his status. In a second, Knuckles had conquered back his aura as Guardian of the Floating Island and of the Master Emerald. He had temporarily lost it during this mission, thanks to the independence of the two mercenaries and of the Alpha Unit, but the illusion of his weakness was instantly gone.

"Listen to me, all of you. Your mission here is over. You were here to neutralize El, who's dead, and Sonic, who's wounded and currently resting at the Chaotix's camp. The Ambrosian Files are destroyed. There's nothing left for you to do here. Go back to your camp and the rest of our scattered troops will join you in time, if they're not there already. You can leave it tomorrow to catch up with the Floating Island, which should take you about two days."

"What about you?" asked an Alpha trooper.

"I'll go back to the Floating Island with the rest of the Chaotix, but separately. I'll also deal with Sonic and his friends. This is not of your concern anymore. Take your leader and go."

The crowd grumbled a bit more, but a few soldiers started moving away to gather whatever supplies they had here, while others tried to wake the Captain to help him back to camp. As the group's coherence ebbed, the few hardliners remaining – most from the Alpha Unit – reluctantly stepped away as well. In a few minutes, they disappeared from the field, carrying the Captain with them, not forgetting the dead bodies of Slug, Anya, and Moe.

"Knux, we should go too. Let's meet up with the guys. Tails and Amy probably want to see Sonic, anyway."

Knuckles nodded. Tails silently acquiesced Mighty's initiative, but Amy didn't budge. She was still kneeling next to Joey's body, her eyes full of tears.

Knuckles looked at his friend with an expression of uncertainty and embarrassment. Unlike Mighty, he wasn't very adept at handling these types of situations.

"Amy," said Mighty, "let's go. We're going to meet up with our friends, where Sonic is resting."

Amy shook her head, though she failed to look up. "We have to bury him," she said gravely.

Mighty didn't answer immediately, but Amy actually started digging the ground with her gloves. Temporarily nonplussed, Mighty soon joined her, along with Knuckles.

After the heart-wrenching experience of placing Joey inside his grave and covering him up, Amy still refused to accompany the two Chaotix to their camp. Instead, she went inside the hangar and found a steel plate and a bit a charcoal. Before planting it, she wrote a significant inscription:

_El, also known as Joey, fearless defender of the Ambrosian civilization against the unprovoked aggressions of the Republic of Mobius and the Floating Island, killed in battle._

Knuckles grimaced as he noticed Amy's politically charged statement, but Mighty tacitly suggested to him to drop it. The Chaotix's investment in this mission had only been half-hearted, and unlike Sonic and Knuckles, Mighty's brand of patriotism never muddled his assessment of a situation; he could well understand his country's strategic interests had no say in the memory the Ambrosian defender left behind. In addition, Amy was not only the sole person who had known Joey a little bit, but also the only one that tried to defend him against Slug's attack – thus it was only fitting that she be the one to write his epitath.

Amy settled this improvised tombstone at the head of the grave and stepped back to contemplate it. There was nothing else she could do for Joey. She had tried to save him and failed. Her heart too heavy to come up with an elegy, she muttered with sincerity the only words that came through her mind.

"Goodbye, Joey. I'm sorry. I'll never forget you."

These brokenhearted words to him were no louder than a whisper…

----

Thanks for reading this. I've made three charts that vaguely show the progression of the battle described in chapters 26 and 27. They're not necessary to its comprehension, and I don't mean to curtail the readers' imagination, but I just thought I'd post this for anyone who's interested. They're basically three crude maps of the battle site, with dots representing each of the characters. There isn't an exact count of the Islander forces, by the way.

a) Arrival at the site:

www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 200625a . jpg

b) Joey's raid:

www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 200625b . jpg

c) Deaths of Slug and Anya:

www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 200625c . jpg

Finally, a map of Borealis with a few additions relevant to the events of today:

www . geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006mapofborealis3 . jpg

Once again, just paste these links to your browser and delete all the spaces around the dots and the slashes in order to load the file.


	28. Something in the Way

Mind the "T" rating once again: this chapter doesn't have any violence, but does make a few explicit references to the use of a soft drug. Also a bit of language (two or three cases of vulgar slang).

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**Something in the Way**

----

As the two Chaotix led Amy and Tails from Borealis to their private camp, Knuckles filled in his partner with regards to the fate of the Ambrosian Files. Late in the morning, Knuckles reached by himself the antechamber carrying the Blythe key, as planned. Sonic ambushed him and tried to knock him out, and the two became locked in a fierce battle. Due to his fatigue, Sonic was eventually beaten and Knuckles proceeded to open the chamber.

However, the inclusion of the Blythe key within the lock activated a bomb. Sonic and Knuckles both ran for cover just in time, but the antechamber collapsed and the rivals were somewhat injured, especially Sonic. Inspecting the debris inside the chamber, Sonic and Knuckles noticed the many fragments of the shattered stone tablets.

Both realizing their mission was a complete failure, they reconciled. Since Sonic was practically comatose, Knuckles led him to the Chaotix camp and left him there to rest, before meeting up with the bulk of his troops to brief Slug and the Captain about this turn of events. Later, Manny's group arrived, having finally captured Tails.

"Knux, where did that bomb come from? Who planted it?"

"Sonic thought it was probably Eggman when he left this place a few years ago. I'm not sure why, maybe he was angry with El for some reason and wanted some revenge. The old doc' was nuts, anyway."

Mighty pondered that hypothesis for an instant. "I'm just thinking… It's possible El knew about it. That would explain why he didn't defend the chamber in particular."

"Maybe, although Sonic told me El ambushed him earlier this morning, near the chamber." Knuckles shrugged. "It doesn't really matter now… The Ambrosian Files are destroyed, anyway…"

"Did you run into the others, by the way? I haven't seen any of them since this morning."

"Yeah. I ran into Espio when I was showing Sonic the way to the camp. He came along. Haven't seen the others, though. Vector went along with these other guys… you know… that really tall guy…"

"Yeah, Blix, right?"

"Yeah. Hey, where'd you get this?" Knuckles noticed all of a sudden a gun attached to Mighty's belt.

"Oh that…" Mighty actually seemed disgusted at the knowledge of this weapon attached to his body. He took it by the barrel, his revulsion evident. "I picked it up earlier, after Slug was shot… I think it's Amy's, you know, she dropped it right after she shot him…"

Completely lost in her grief, Amy had been silently following the group without listening to a word of their conversation, until Mighty mentioned her name. She noticed the gun – Joey's gun.

Suddenly stepping close to the armadillo, she forcefully snatched it from his hands.

"Whoa!" Mighty exclaimed. "Careful there. This thing could still be loaded."

Amy didn't answer (or even listen); she just threw the gun in her backpack. Whatever it was, it was Joey's possession and nobody (but she) had a right to hold it, least of all someone from the Floating Island. The Islanders had come with the intent of killing Joey and they had succeeded.

"I don't think you should have this," Knuckles said. From the little he had seen of her, Amy was very unpredictable.

"It's not yours," she snapped.

The two Chaotix hesitated for a moment, but they knew it was pointless to argue against such a determined will and so hushed their objection.

Much later, the group was relaxing along with their friends at the Chaotix's camp. The quartet had found Sonic, Espio, Vector, and Charmy waiting for them, the latter two having returned from their respective missions in Borealis.

The night had long since fallen and they had set up a campfire. The eight people present sat peacefully on one side of it, save for Tails who chose to remain a bit farther. His greeting with Sonic had been somewhat stiff; though the hedgehog had warmly greeted him with his habitual demeanor, Tails had failed to respond, so Sonic let him be.

Amy, for her part, hadn't uttered a single word since snatching Joey's gun from Mighty. She was still completely immersed in both the grief and the guilt she sustained from Joey's death.

Meanwhile, Mighty briefed his friends about the events surrounding Slug's death, up to the aggression and departure of the Alpha Unit and the other Islander troops. Sonic was shocked to learn that Amy had performed the deed.

"Hold on a second… Amy just grabbed a gun and shot him on the spot?"

"Yeah, and his wife, too. She aimed perfectly at both of them. The whole thing must've lasted five seconds, ten at the most."

"Damn." Sonic glanced at Amy, who had noticed his surprise.

"It seems she was friends with El, too, that's why she reacted like that…"

Sonic nodded tensely. "Yeah, I… I had heard… I mean I was sort of aware of that but I didn't really pay attention, to tell ya the truth…"

Remembering Amy's words about her fear of Slug, Sonic looked at her once again for a whole instant; Amy caught his glance but she was unable to express anything to him. Her whole world had been turned upside down during the battle and she couldn't acknowledge Sonic the way she used to. In her previous state of mind Sonic's surprise would have come across as admiration – according to her starry eyes – but now it was obvious to her that Sonic was only expressing stupefaction at an unlikely event.

"Guys," Sonic whispered, "I mean… If she was friends with him… That's why she's so, uh, different now. Like, she hasn't said a word since you arrived."

"_Obviously_, Mr. Detective," Knuckles muttered.

"I'll talk to her after you guys leave," Sonic said, ignoring his rival's sarcasm. "I mean I'll try. I'm not sure how she feels about Slug's death, but what's done is done."

"And it's not for the better," Knuckles uttered gravely. "I'm gonna have to explain his death to the Council… A bunch of bureaucrats that run the Floating Island," he added, for Sonic's sake.

Vector didn't seem too concerned. "I'm sorry dude, but they had it comin'… Slug was this total douchebag, and his woman… That babe was nuthin' but baaaad news."

Knuckles made a gesture of impatience. "No I mean… I'm not grieved or anything. But I was supposed to handle this situation… It really got out of control."

"It wasn't your fault, Knux," Espio said. "The Captain just sent his guys to do what he wanted. If they investigate and ask us to testify, we'll support you."

"Dude, you're da Guardian," Vector added hotly. "They can't give you trouble with this bullshit. It's not like they can fire ya."

"They're probably glad he's dead, too, that way they don't have to pay him," Espio added, a hint of cynicism in his voice. "From what I heard, his retainer is supposed to be pretty ridiculous."

"Yeah, 'nuff said," Vector concluded. "We're done here. Espy, why dontcha roll one for us?"

"Sure." Espio reached for a sack next to him and retrieved a plastic bag of marijuana.

"What a huge waste," Knuckles grumbled. "In addition to a bunch of deaths on my hands, the Ambrosian Files are destroyed. Zapped. Gone. Obliviated."

"You couldn't have foreseen that bomb, Knux," said Mighty.

Sonic looked slightly frustrated. "Maybe I could have figured it out… If you hadn't destroyed my stuff… I had these plans and notes from Eggman…"

Knuckles looked at the ground, his teeth clenched. "IT. WASN'T. MY. FAULT," he griped. "It was those Alpha guys! I wasn't there, anyway. Charmy was there and they bullied him, isn't that right Charms?"

"Yeah," said Charmy with his high-pitched voice, speaking for the first time. "The Captain just told me to get lost."

"So why did you let them go raid my camp in the first place?" Sonic pressed Knuckles, raising his tone of voice.

"They're unstoppable! I'm not here to babysit a bunch of crazy thugs! My job's to guard the Master Emerald. I shouldn't be here." He crossed his arms. "I didn't have anything to do with their crazy raids."

"Wrong. You let them do it because you knew it would drive me mad." It couldn't have been a coincidence that Knuckles chose Charmy to represent him; the bee was easily the youngest and weakest member of the Chaotix, and the odds of his possible success in curbing the Alpha Unit's promptness were close to nil, as Knuckles well knew.

"Whoa whoa, chill OUT bruthas! Peace on earth!" Vector interjected.

"Ya know, maybe it's better this way," Mighty said philosophically. "No one has the Ambrosian Files. It just wasn't meant to be."

"And at least you got to show 'em who's da boss. Don't mess with da Chaotix, that's what I say," Vector said heartily.

The two rivals reluctantly dropped the argument, neither one looking at the other. Sonic was a bit more relaxed, probably thinking he held the moral high ground anyway, while Knuckles was on the defensive. The temporary silence helped heal the mood, particularly when Espio lighted his joint and shared it with the group, much to Vector's delight.

"So… I guess… You'll be heading for the coast tomorrow?" Knuckles asked softly, blandly staring at the fire.

"Yeah. If you're not stopping us, that is," Sonic ironized.

"Don't mock me," said the echidna. After a moment, he added: "Vector's got a bunch of food. I think Espy's got some disinfectant."

"I'm fine – I've used it already."

"No, I mean, for Tails' arm."

Sonic didn't thank him; he didn't wish to give his rival an explicit recognition for his decision to let him leave. Though it wasn't his problem, he however knew the Chaotix would definitely attract the Alpha Unit's hostility from now on for "fraternizing with the enemy."

"Oh, uh, no thanks man," Sonic said, suddenly realizing Vector was handing him the joint.

"Chill out, dude. The fight's over, they either snuffed it or they're gone. You might wanna relax some, ya know."

Sonic smiled gently. "Nah, it's okay. I don't really go for this kind of thing."

Vector then looked beyond for the next person around the fire, until he found a pink hedgehog a bit behind everyone, lost in her thoughts. "What's dat gal's name again?"

"Uh, that's Amy. She kind of dropped in unexpectedly two weeks ago," Sonic explained.

"What, here?" Vector produced a smile of amused incredulity.

"Yeah. Well, not really. She joined us a bit after we crossed the frontier. You know, near Saint Damien…"

"Weird," the croc hipster concluded. He had vaguely heard from Mighty about Amy's actions during the day and was somewhat bewildered (if not impressed) by the odd presence and behavior in such a wild location of a seemingly average teenage girl. "Yo, Amy, ya want some of this?"

It took quite a few seconds for Amy to register that Vector (of all people) was actually talking to her. She saw his extended arm handing over the joint – she hadn't even noticed that was going around in the first place. Amy slowly grabbed it from Vector's hand, too spiritless to refuse it. She curiously watched the burning marijuana cigarette – she had never tried smoking psychotropic substances, and at the same time there was something very familiar about it.

Then she remembered why – Joey. He had entire crops of marijuana in his greenhouse. He had even offered her a smoke, but she had refused… Until now.

Amy sucked a dense cloud of smoke in her mouth and inhaled it – only to clumsily cough it out a second later. The smoke tickled and burned her throat and lungs.

Dismayed, she held up the joint and intensely observed it. It was as if Joey refused to let her share his legacy. What claim could she now make over the memory he left behind?

Furious with herself at this symbol of her failure to save Joey, Amy vengefully threw down the cigarette and stamped it out with unnecessary violence, which produced a mild burst of astonishment from her comrades, especially Vector.

"Whoa, girl, wut the hell's wrong wit ya? If you don't like it, just pass it along. No need to kill it like that."

"Vec, just chill out," Mighty countered. "Amy's been through a lot today."

Vector shrugged. "Whatever."

"It's alright. I'll just roll another one," Espio offered. "I've got tons of this stuff, anyway."

The minutes went past as Knuckles, Sonic, Mighty, Vector, and Espio reminisced the events of the week, though they cared to avoid the subject of their previous antagonism. Thankfully, Vector kept the crowd entertained by his spirited rants against the insane antics of the Alpha Unit, to which Espio wittily replied that they were only bested in their craziness by Vector's equally annoying obsession with loud party music.

All of a sudden, Sonic lowered his voice, so that only this inner circle heard him. "Should I be worried?" he asked, giving a discreet nod in Tails' direction. "It's like, he hasn't said a single word since you guys arrived. It's like he's mad at me for some reason…"

"We haven't brainwashed him to hate you, if that's what you're asking," Knuckles replied, once again on the defensive.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "That's totally_ not_ what I meant."

"Sonic, Sonic," Mighty interjected somewhat frantically, "I totally forgot to tell you dude. This guy, Moe, an Alpha soldier… Tails… well, Tails shot him."

Seeing Sonic's look of amazement, Mighty quickly proceeded to elaborate, detailing with precision the circumstances of the event. Keeping his voice low (so Tails wouldn't overhear), he especially emphasized his understanding that Tails was blameless. "… I mean the guy just attacked Tails out of the blue when I was trying to talk to him into coming with us. Moe wasn't Manny's subordinate, he just acted the way he saw fit. We didn't know he was sneaking behind Tails. That's the Alpha Unit for you. Tails didn't have time to think, he just had a gut reaction. He was in dire straits at this point – he seemed to think he had to escape no matter what."

Sonic looked grieved as Mighty recounted his version of the events. "I didn't foresee this… Well I mean I knew he was tense, and I_did_ tell him he had to get out of Borealis no matter what… So like, he just flipped around at the last second?"

"It was so sudden, so I might not remember exactly… I think it was Amy who saw Moe, and she must've yelled a warning… And I think Moe was leaping at him, he was like, in the air, and Tails just fired…"

Sonic discreetly glanced at his best friend with a look of compassion and remorse. "Maybe I should…"

At those words, Sonic got up from his log and slowly walked over to where Tails was sitting, a few feet away from the campfire and from the rest of the group.

"Hey there buddy… Tails… Come on, get up and join us."

Sonic extended his hand to help him up; Tails apathetically looked at him and reluctantly placed his left hand in Sonic's, who lifted him up. The two friends were now standing barely a foot apart.

"Look, buddy… little bro…" Sonic wasn't sure what to say; he wasn't very skilled at consoling others, even his best friend. "Tails, I want you to understand… It's not your fault. It's_okay_. You'll be fine. I'm not mad or anything."

Tails opened his eyes a bit more, looking up at Sonic. Despite the hedgehog's awkwardness he had spoken sincerely.

"It's all right, Tails," he repeated. Sonic then placed his hand on Tails' shoulder and progressively embraced him in a full-fledged hug, but he didn't let go. "It's okay, dude… Trust me. You're fine. It's not your fault."

Though he was slow in reacting to Sonic's gesture, this affectionate contact was starting to affect the young kitsune. He was gradually letting go of the frustrated emotion he had been keeping inside of him ever since Moe's death. Tears started to form in his eyes. After a progressive buildup, he was soon crying his eyes out, a long, passionate wail accompanying his outpouring emotion. Unlike at the antechamber, he actually returned Sonic's embrace, his tears moistening Sonic's fur.

With Tails' long-withheld trust and affection towards Sonic finally coming through, the hedgehog gently held his friend's head and kissed his forehead with the tenderness of a benevolent older brother.

Amy had actually followed Sonic and Tails' reconciliation – and for some reason, it left a sour taste in her mouth, although she wasn't sure why. Probably more so than Tails, she was keeping a torrent of sadness inside, but Sonic didn't seem interested in comforting her. Could it be that she was jealous of Tails for having aroused Sonic's compassion and finding the ability to finally release his emotions?

It soon dawned on Amy her jealousy was also an illusion, because she imagined Sonic comforting her as well – and she suddenly realized she didn't want that at all. Before Joey's death Amy had been dying for Sonic's affection and had relished the thought of him holding her for whatever reason, including in her moments of sadness. But Amy now understood why she couldn't see Sonic the same way: her successive betrayals of Joey all had had to do with her obsession of the blue blur. To look to Sonic for consolation for Joey's death was unthinkable; the thought of it made her want to throw up. She wasn't disgusted at Sonic but at herself – for having pursued him to a point where she had chosen to betray Joey no less than three times.

Amy suddenly felt completely out of place. None of these people were her friends. None of them could understand or comfort her. They had been all sent to aggress Joey for no reason other than to steal his precious treasure. They had been willing accomplices of his murder. Amy knew she could never look to them for help without insulting Joey's memory.

Feeling completely estranged from this group, Amy instantly decided she had to leave. It didn't matter where, as long as she got away from them. Joey's enemies were her enemies.

She calmly slipped out of the campfire. It wasn't too hard to leave unnoticed, since they were chatting between themselves around the fire and she had been sitting behind them anyway, out of the spotlight.

Though she didn't pay attention to her direction, Amy naturally made her way towards the field and quickly reached its edge; it was her only logical destination anyway, because it was the only one her consciousness was familiar with.

Unlike the forest, the field was illuminated by the reflection of the moon, and Amy realized she had been here a few days ago… This part of the forest's edge had been in her path during her panicked flight to Joey's cabin, which was only a short walk away. It had only been five nights ago, but to Amy it felt like forever, considering the number of (mis)adventures she had gone through since. It had happened before Joey's death anyway – in her mind, everything before that event seemed like it was part of another existence.

Once again Amy's body took her quite naturally towards Joey's cabin, as if she were to rendezvous with him there.

She entered the old wooden hut and felt its strange familiarity. After all, she had been here three times already – the last time had been when Joey had come back bruised and battered, barely able to stand up. She had then announced her irrevocable decision to leave him forever… In retrospect, it felt like she had tempted fate to take her at her word and ironically succeeded. Be careful what you wish for…

Sitting on the cabin's floor in front of the fireplace, Amy felt completely alone. The cabin was utterly lifeless. There was no cozy fire; Joey's possessions just rested around the room stone dead. There was no Joey to talk to her…

Not knowing what to do – she was hardly in control of her body anyway – Amy mechanically looked through her knapsack, as if she were to write a journal entry… just like Anya had sneeringly suggested during Joey's murder.

Her hand stumbled upon Joey's gun. She looked at it very intensely, because it was the only object of his that she had. It gave her a very strange feeling, as if Joey's legacy to her was somehow fully symbolized in it.

Inspecting it, she opened the chambers and realized it was a six-shooter. A revolver.

Then it hit her.

She had killed Anya and Slug by shooting her twice – and him_thrice_. She looked at the chambers.

The only object Joey had left her was a gun with a single bullet.

He wanted her to kill herself and join him in his fate. That was his legacy. His tacit dying wish.

She would only be his second crush to commit such an act…

Slowly but surely, barely in touch with her sanity, Amy set the bullet in position and closed the gun's chambers. She brought it up to her head…

…_and pressed the barrel on her temple_...


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

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Having noticed Amy's absence from the campfire, the five Chaotix each left the camp in separate directions to look for her. Espio the Chameleon found the cabin and witnessed Amy's attempt at suicide; using his stealth mode, he was able to approach her unseen and suddenly remove the gun from her head, before bringing her back to the campfire.

The next day, Sonic's gang and the Chaotix went their separate ways: the latter went east to catch up with the Floating Island and face the probable rebuke of their government, while Sonic, Tails, and Amy went west towards the coast, equipped with a few supplies provided by their rivals-turned-friends and stopping by Tails' camp to pick up the tent and Tails' other possessions.

Recognizing the damage Amy sustained from her exile and its repercussions in Ambrosia, Sonic allowed her to come back with him and Tails; despite the failure of his mission to recover the Ambrosian Files, he was able to use his prestige as a former freedom fighter to arrange the speedy establishment of Amy's citizenship to the Republic.

As for Amy, it is still unknown whether and how she recovered from her experience in Ambrosia, and whether she chose to remain friends with Sonic and Tails.

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THE END


	30. Author's Note

If you're interested, here is a timeline of the story if you want to recap everything that happened. Although it's superficial to the story, I thought this could be interesting because all of these characters have very different paths and most of what happen to the characters other than Amy is off-screen. There are five timelines: three for Sonic's team (one for Amy, one foe Sonic, one for Tails), one for the Islanders (Knuckles, Slug, the Alpha Unit, etc.); and one for the Ambrosians (Joey, Phil, Claire). Amy's timeline includes a recap of her experience since her exile all the way up to the adventure in Borealis. "Day 1" refers to the first day she arrives in Borealis along with Sonic, as recounted at the end of chapter 6.

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Day 1 (Sonic and Amy arrive at the field in the afternoon): ch 6 (end), ch 7 (beginning)

Day 2: ch 7 (middle)

Day 3: ch 7 (middle to end), ch 8

Day 4: ch 9

Day 5: ch 10, ch 11 (night)

Day 6: ch 12, ch 13, ch 14 (night)

Day 7: ch 15, ch 16

Day 8: ch 17, ch 18, ch 19

Day 9: ch 20

Day 10: ch 21, ch 22, ch 23, ch 24, ch 25, ch 26 (night)

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Maps:

Ambrosia: www. geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006map . jpg

Borealis (ch 11): www. geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006mapofborealis . jpg

Borealis (ch 19): www. geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006mapofborealis2 . jpg

Borealis (ch 25): www. geocities . com / alesi22 / 2006mapofborealis3 . jpg

(To load the maps, paste these links to your browser and delete all the spaces next to the periods and the slashes.)

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Amy

6 years before day 1: At ten years of age Amy is living with Sonic and Tails, but since she causes Sonic so much stress, Sonic's friends send her away to a suburban community on the other side of the world. This is the beginning of her 6-year exile.

5 months before day 1: Amy turns 16. She hires a computer wizard to hack into the files of the army of the Republic and learns that Sonic and Tails are to be sent to Ambrosia in 5 months for a mysterious mission.

45 days before day 1: Amy sneaks away from her boarding school and begins her trek towards Ambrosia.

34 days before day 1: Amy reaches Freetown, on the isthmus to Ambrosia, but her money is almost finished.

29 days before day 1: Amy is hired by Slug to work on his ship and attend to his wife Anya (who is sick) in exchange for a hitch to Seaside.

19 days before day 1: Amy reaches Seaside. She needs money for her guide to drive her to an indigenous village where she can meet Sonic. She steals Slug's money and sends Sonic a telegram to the Saint Damien trading post, which is on Sonic's itinerary, to tell him to come meet her.

16 days before day 1: Amy is dropped off at the village.

9 days before day 1: Sonic and Tails arrive at the village and pick up Amy.

7 days before day 1: Sonic sends Tails ahead as a scout. Sonic and Amy travel together towards Borealis.

4 days before day 1: Sonic informs Amy that Knuckles and Slug will probably show up in Borealis. Amy is horrified but chooses not to reveal the truth to Sonic.

3 days before day 1: Sonic and Amy fight over her presence.

Day 1: Amy arrives with Sonic at the field in the afternoon. Sonic leaves for Borealis and Amy sets up the camp in the forest near its edge.

Day 2: Amy waits for Sonic at the camp, but he doesn't come back.

Day 3: Sonic is still absent. Amy spots the Floating Island far in the horizon. Panicked, she runs away towards Tails' camp using the map. In her precipitation she falls in the pond and meets Phil and Joey. Afterwards she arrives at Tails' camp and spends the night with Tails. He tells her Sonic was captured.

Day 4: Amy goes to Borealis. She meets Claire, and sees Phil and Joey. Joey gives her a tour of the base. They see the Floating Island moving closer to the field.

Day 5: Using information from Tails and her knowledge of Borealis from the previous day, Amy is able to visit Sonic in prison, who tells her about the key and instructs her to protect his supplies. Amy comes back to Tails' camp and leaves him a note asking him to come to her camp to help her carry Sonic's supplies back to Tails' camp. Amy goes to her camp and packs up everything but the tent. She drifts into sleep waiting for Tails. When she wakes up the Alpha Unit attacks her camp and burn everything. Amy escapes but inadvertently leaves Sonic's map behind her. She goes to Joey's cabin, where he had invited her if she ran into trouble. Joey welcomes her.

Day 6: Amy wakes up in Joey's cabin but she is alone. She finds the Blythe key and steals it, then runs to Sonic's prison cell to show it to him. She sees Sonic has escaped, so she goes to the pond to wait for him and Tails. However, Anya attacks her and steals the key. That evening, only Tails comes back but not Sonic. Amy is very depressed. At night, Tails' camp is attacked by the Alpha Unit, but Amy escapes. Having nowhere to go, she runs to Joey's cabin, and he instantly forgives her for her theft.

Day 7: Amy spends the day with Joey until she spots Tails on one of Joey's monitors. She meets Tails who managed to escape the Islanders. Tails engages El in combat, but they are able to escape. They come back to a new camp Tails set up the previous night after his escape. That night, Tails understands Amy is friends with "Joey" so he tells her Joey is El and a very dangerous person. Amy is crushed.

Day 8: Amy confronts Joey about his identity. Nonetheless, they stay friends. They spend the day together. In the afternoon, Borealis is attacked by the Islanders, and Joey goes to fight them. Amy sees Sonic who is furious that she failed to protect his supplies. They reconcile, however, when she explains why Slug is after her. Sonic tells her to stop meeting El and to wait for him and Tails at Tails' new camp. Confident she loves Sonic and not Joey, Amy goes to the cabin to tell Joey good-bye. Joey comes back very tired and battered because he just fought Slug to a draw. Amy takes care of him but tells him they shouldn't hang out anymore and that she won't come back. She then goes to Tails' camp by herself.

Day 9: Amy waits at the camp, but Sonic and Tails don't come back.

Day 10: Worried, Amy goes back to Borealis to look for her two friends. She meets Joey who gives her a gun because the Islanders are coming. Joey senses trouble and speeds away. Amy cautiously follows him and sees Joey defeating Sonic and Tails. She betrays Joey so Sonic can take control of the situation. They reach the antechamber of the Ambrosian Files. Sonic then tells Amy she needs to escape with Tails, whose arm is injured, while Sonic will stay to snatch the Ambrosian Files from Knuckles who is about to arrive with the Blythe key.

Amy and Tails almost escape, but they are attacked by Manny's unit. The soldiers pursue Tails and ignore Amy, but she runs into Anya who defeats her and threatens her. Amy manages to escape and meet up with Tails, but Tails shoots a soldier, Moe, and the two are captured.

Tormented by Anya, Amy is forced to follow Manny and his men towards the rest of the Islander forces, where Slug is waiting. When they get there, Joey attacks the Islanders and defeats them, until Slug starts killing him. Amy reacts by shooting Anya and Slug with Joey's gun. However, Joey dies from his wounds. Amy and Tails are about to be taken away by the Islanders, but Knuckles intervenes.

That night, Knuckles takes Tails and Amy to the Chaotix' hidden camp where Sonic is resting. Amy is completely shattered by Joey's death. She sneaks out of the camp and reaches Joey's cabin. She pulls out Joey's gun and attempts suicide, but Espio stops her just in time.

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Sonic

Day 1: Sonic arrives with Amy at the field. He goes to Borealis by himself immediately, hoping to finish this quickly, leaving Amy to set up his camp. In Borealis, he sees the entrance to the chamber with the Ambrosian Files. A bit later, he is surprised by El who beats him up and throws him in a prison cell.

Day 2: Sonic is still imprisoned.

Day 3: Sonic is still imprisoned.

Day 4: Sonic is still imprisoned.

Day 5: Sonic is still imprisoned, but Amy visits him and brings him food. At night, he is freed by Tails and leaves immediately towards his camp since he notices it's on fire.

Day 6: Sonic searches for the Islanders' camp. He loses time finding his way in the forest.

Day 7: Sonic finally confronts Knuckles, but their meeting is not productive. They fight. Sonic understands the Islanders and Slug are out to get him.

Day 8: Back in Borealis, Sonic sees Tails and understands his partner is irrationally obsessed with fighting El. Sonic later meets Amy and unleashes his anger at her for failing to protect his supplies. He calms down when she explains her ordeal. When she tells him the Islanders have the Blythe key, Sonic leaves and catches up with Tails. His plan is now to spy on Knuckles to know when he will come with the key retrieve the Ambrosian Files, so they can snatch them right away. Sonic and Tails secretly follow the Islanders to their camp and therefore don't come back to Tails' camp that night where Amy is waiting for them.

Day 9: Sonic and Tails spy on the Islanders as they devise their plan for day 10. They understand Knuckles will come to the chamber with the Blythe key while the others will distract El. Unfortunately, they are spotted. They escape, but Tails opens fire on the Islanders. They retreat to Borealis where they will anticipate Knuckles' arrival.

Day 10: Sonic and Tails come near the chamber to wait for Knuckles, but El attacks them and seriously wounds Tails' arm. Fortunately, Amy turns the tables by betraying El/Joey. Knowing Tails is wounded and Amy is a target for Slug, Sonic sends them away so they can escape. Sonic stays near the chamber until Knuckles arrives with the key. They fight. Knuckles ends up opening the chamber but it explodes and the Ambrosian Files are shattered. The two enemies reconcile. Sonic is wounded, so Knuckles takes him to the Chaotix' hidden camp where he can rest. He is still there that night when Knuckles, Mighty, Amy, and Tails come back from the battle.

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Tails

7 days before day 1: Because of Amy's presence, Sonic sends Tails to Borealis ahead of him.

2 days before day 1: Tails arrives at the field and sets up his camp as instructed by Sonic, south of Borealis, not far from the pond.

1 day before day 1: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. Over the days, he will gradually forget about the Ambrosian Files and concentrate on fighting El out of resentment due to Layla's suicide last year.

Day 1: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. He spots El capturing Sonic, but can't defeat him and retreats.

Day 2: Tails roams Borealis to fight El.

Day 3: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. When he comes back to his camp, Amy is there.

Day 4: Tails roams Borealis to fight El.

Day 5: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. When he comes back, it is dark so he doesn't see the note Amy left for him. That night, he spots the fire from Amy's camp; thinking it's distracting El, he goes and frees Sonic by exploding the lock of Sonic's prison cell. Sonic leaves immediately towards the fire while Tails comes back to his camp alone.

Day 6: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. When he comes back he sees Amy is depressed. That night, his camp is attacked by the Alpha Unit. He is taken prisoner but escapes shortly thereafter with his tent. He sets up west of Borealis, in the forest.

Day 7: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. Amy meets him, but he engages El in combat. El mysteriously lets them escape. That night, Tails understands Amy made friends with "Joey" and tells her Joey is El and a very dangerous person.

Day 8: Tails roams Borealis to fight El. Sonic meets him but their exchange is unhappy because Sonic is dissatisfied with Tails' obsession with El. They meet again late in the day, and they both follow the Islanders to their camp.

Day 9: Sonic and Tails spy on the Islanders, but they are spotted. While escaping, Tails fires on them. He becomes very bitter.

Day 10: Sonic and Tails penetrate the vicinity of the chamber to wait for Knuckles. El attacks them and wounds Tails' arm. Amy saves them by betraying Joey/El. Since Tails is injured, Sonic instructs them to escape from Borealis. They almost succeed, but as Manny's unit is about to capture them, Tails kills Moe, an Alpha trooper who accompanied Manny's unit. Shocked at having killed someone, Tails apathetically follows Manny's unit as their prisoner to meet the rest of the Islander forces. During the battle, he sees El getting killed. Knuckles prevents the Captain and his men from taking Tails away along with Amy. Later, Knuckles takes Tails and Amy to the Chaotix' hidden camp, where Tails is reunited with Sonic.

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Islanders (Knuckles & Chaotix; Slug & Anya; Alpha Unit & the Captain; about 20 other troops); the "leaders" usually refers to the Knuckles-Slug-Captain triad.

Day 1: n/a

Day 2: n/a

Day 3: The Floating Island is spotted by Amy far in the horizon.

Day 4: The Floating Island gets closer, spotted by Joey and Amy; late in the day the forces land, except for Slug, who stays on the Floating Island and will arrive on day 8 only.

Day 5: The Islanders finish setting up just outside the eastern half of the field. They send a few scouts to survey the field. Charmy Bee notices Amy coming back to her camp. At night the Alpha Unit attacks her camp and burns Sonic's supplies. When Amy flees she is recognized by Anya. Anya also finds Sonic's map, which Amy inadvertently left behind and which shows the location of Tails' camp.

Day 6: Using the map, Anya goes near Tails' camp, confronts Amy about the money she stole, and takes the Blythe key as payment. She then gives the key to Knuckles and the map to the Alpha Unit, who use it to attack Tails' camp that night. Amy escapes but they take Tails prisoner. However, he escapes as well moments later.

Day 7: With Sonic's resources now destroyed, the leaders send a few scouts, this time inside Borealis. However, El repels them. Meanwhile, Sonic meets Knuckles at his camp and they fight.

Day 8: Since Sonic is now unable to seriously challenge the Islanders, their leaders concentrate on neutralizing the troublesome El, especially since Slug has finally arrived. They send much of their host to Borealis, including Slug who was hired to kill El anyway. However, El fights Slug to a draw. Surprised at this resistance, the Islanders retreat.

Day 9: Spied on by Sonic and Tails, the leaders plan their strategy for the next day. When spotted, Tails fires on the Islanders. Sonic and Tails escape. The Islanders' plan for the next day is to deploy as many soldiers everywhere in Borealis to confuse El. When they spot him they are supposed to inform Slug so he can come kill him. Meanwhile, this distraction will allow Knuckles to come to the chamber containing the Ambrosian Files and open it using the Blythe key.

Day 10: Knuckles arrives near the chamber where Sonic is secretly waiting for him. After a fight, Knuckles starts opening the chamber, but it explodes. Sonic is wounded. They notice the Ambrosian Files were shattered by the explosion. The two enemies reconcile. Knuckles takes Sonic to the Chaotix' hidden camp where Sonic can rest. Although a bit bruised as well, Knuckles then rejoins the main Islander forces on the edge of the base.

Meanwhile, Islander units scour Borealis. Accompanied by Anya and Mighty the Armadillo, Manny's unit spots Amy and Tails and captures them, although Tails kills a member of the Alpha Unit, Moe. They bring them back to where the main Islander forces are gathered along with their leaders: Knuckles, Slug, and the Captain.

Joey then attacks the Islanders, seemingly defeating them. However, Slug attacks him and kills him. Amy kills Anya and Slug. The Captain wants to take Tails and Amy to the Floating Island as prisoners, but Knuckles intervenes. He beats up the Captain and sends all of the Islander forces (except for the Chaotix) back to their camp and to the Floating Island since their mission – to neutralize Sonic and El – is accomplished.

That night, Knuckles, the four Chaotix, Sonic, Tails, and Amy are gathered at the Chaotix' small camp. Knuckles confirms his decision to let Sonic, Tails, and Amy leave peacefully despite the consequences he might face.

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Ambrosians (Joey, Phil, Claire); note: Phil and Claire are not "Ambrosians"; they're just friends of Joey. They're Ambrosians in a technical sense because they live on the Ambrosian continent.

Day 1: Joey is working with Phil (and sometimes Claire) on the water supply system. Late in the day, he captures Sonic who was sneaking around the chamber to the Ambrosian Files. Joey also occasionally fights Tails to scare him off, but doesn't try to capture him since he understands Tails is not after the Ambrosian Files.

Day 2: Joey occasionally fights Tails and spends the time working with Phil on the water supply system.

Day 3: Joey occasionally fights Tails and spends the time working with Phil on the water supply system. In the afternoon, they meet Amy who quickly beats it.

Day 4: Joey, Phil and Claire take the day off. Claire notices Amy on a monitor, captures her and brings her to her friends. Joey gives Amy a tour of Borealis.

Day 5: Joey occasionally fights Tails and spends the time working with Phil on the water supply system. At his cabin that night, he spots the fire from Amy's burning camp. He welcomes Amy who ran away from the Alpha Unit.

Day 6: Joey occasionally fights Tails and spends the time working with Phil on the water supply system. That night, Joey welcomes Amy who again ran away from the Alpha Unit. He says he forgives her for stealing the Blythe key that morning.

Day 7: Joey hangs out with Amy in Borealis until she leaves to try and meet Tails. Tails later engages him in combat. Joey lets them go when he notices Amy is with Tails, but not without firing a rocket for good measure (although he willingly misses). He also manages to repel the few Islander scouts that penetrate Borealis. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire have left Borealis to go back to their home on the Ambrosian west coast.

Day 8: Joey is confronted by Amy about his identity as El. They stay friends. When the Islanders intrude Borealis, Joey goes to fight them. All goes well until he engages Slug. They fight fiercely to a draw. Battered, Joey retreats to his cabin where Amy takes care of him. However, Amy tells him she won't be seeing him again.

Day 9: Joey uses the Islanders' absence to rest from his fight with Slug the previous day.

Day 10: In Borealis, Joey prepares for the Islander invasion. Amy then meets him, and he gives her a gun in case she needs to fight. Sensing trouble near the chamber to the Ambrosian Files, he discovers the intruders were Sonic and Tails and attacks them. Amy betrays him so Sonic takes control of the situation. Sonic ties him up and leaves him.

Joey later manages to free himself. He goes to the site where most of the Islanders are gathered. He engages them in combat and beats up many of them. As he is about to leave, Slug unexpectedly attacks him and kills him.

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That's all, folks. Thanks for so much for reading this story, and thanks to all those who wrote reviews. I had fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it, too. Well, if you made it through 28 chapters, I'm guessing that you had at least _a little bit_ of fun reading it. ;) Best to all,

Alesi257


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